The Emperor Has No Clothes

Do you remember the Hans Christian Anderson story, “The Emperor’s New Clothes?” If not, here’s a link to the entire cautionary tale written in 1837.

It tells of a prideful, self-centered ruler who was unconcerned with his people or kingdom. But this emperor loved new clothes so much that he had a different outfit for each hour of the day.

A pair of crafty rogues decided to take advantage of the king’s vanity. They pretended to be prestigious tailors who made clothing so colorful and beautiful that each garment was invisible to those unfit for their position or too simple to see the extraordinary designs.

Of course, the pride-filled ruler fell for their phony ploy – hook, line, and sinker. Despite the exorbitant price, he immediately commissioned the tailors to craft him a new suit.

Though the king furnished rare silk and thread of pure gold, the entire process was imaginary. The tailors wove on imaginary looms and pretended to cut and sew. They even pretended to fit the king with imaginary garments.

But the greatest coup of this entire farce was how quickly every member of the Royal Court bought into the tailors’ imaginary craziness. Whether due to fear of being labeled a simpleton or groveling attempts to curry the king’s favor, each courtier readily pretended to see the emperor’s new clothes.

Even the king failed to admit he could see nothing. Instead, he pretended the tailors’ work was magnificent. And since the entire kingdom knew of their ruler’s new clothes, a royal procession was planned to show off these garments.

Sure enough, every citizen along the parade route pretended to be astounded by the beauty of the emperor’s new clothes. Their tongues dripped with deceitful praise until a small and innocent child spoke the truth, “But the emperor has nothing at all on!”

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Oh, for one voice to stand up and speak truth to this emperor and this farcical empire!

Our world is absolutely insane right now. It’s as upside-down as a Dairy Queen Blizzard. Most days, I feel like we might be living in an episode of The Twilight Zone. Or, just maybe, we have all fallen down Alice’s rabbit hole, and the Mad Hatter is directing traffic here in this not-so-wonderful land of demented debauchery.

Seriously, it’s as if everyone has lost their mind, and no one has an iota of common sense anymore. Right is wrong; left is right; up is down; and worst of all, not one single person in charge of this crazy, mixed-up, woke world seems to notice or care.

It’s as if the emperor and the empire are totally naked, and we are celebrating their nakedness with live media coverage of government-funded parties – and prison sentences for anyone who refuses to join in the fun or dares to speak the truth.

Every day, media headlines are completely insane. Here’s a sampling of recent articles:

• “World Health Organization now says gender ‘exists on a continuum’ and is ‘beyond non-binary.’ Gender is ‘not limited to male or female.’”
• “Pro-abortion law professor calls GOP Senator ‘Transphobic’ for suggesting only women can get pregnant.”
• “Oregon mom challenging [$4-6 million] law requiring menstrual products in boys' bathrooms in schools.”
• “Florida dad gets mic cut off [in school board meeting] after he exposed pornographic books that are being read to students.”
• “A New York bodega worker is facing murder charges after fatally stabbing man who attacked him.”
• “Largest teachers union [NEA] pushes to switch ‘mother’ to ‘birthing parent’ in contracts.”
• “Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln bust removed from Cornell [University] Library after ‘complaint.’”
• “School board scolds [Nevada] mom for violating ‘decorum.’ She was reading a sexually explicit assignment given to her daughter.”
• “Voicemail indicates [President] Joe Biden knew of Hunter [Biden’s] deals with ‘spy chief of China.’”
• “‘We love killing babies!’: What I saw at ‘Women’s March’ protest.”
• “Biden, et al. to women: Your unborn baby is the enemy.”
• “USA Mennonites vote to approve same-sex marriage, United Methodists split over LGBT issues.”
• “Trans [gender] kids’ treatment can start younger, new guidelines say.”
• “Sermon stretches to accommodate all ‘reactions’ to Roe’s demise.”
• “California asks residents to avoid charging electric cars amid power grid strain.”
• “US infrastructure nowhere near ready for Biden’s electric vehicle timeline.”
• “Oil from US reserves sent overseas [to China] as gasoline prices stay high.”
• “US inflation at 40-year high as price increases spread.”
• “US average gas price highest in history.”
• “Physician-assisted suicide could soon become legal in Massachusetts. What are the pros and cons?”
• “Defund the police’ Dems spent over $325K on private security.”
• “Millennials may start having ‘digital babies’ so they aren’t ‘burdened’ by children.”
• “Southern Baptist sex abuse report stuns, from pulpit to pew.”
• “School board member to teach sexual 'pleasure' classes at her sex shop for kids as young as 9.”
• “Pride month sees spike in drag queen events for children.”
• “Parents and children turn out for first drag queen story time.”
• “Activists are trying to normalize pedophilia and corporate media is helping them.”

How do we possibly make sense of this madness? Or is America simply too far gone? I hope not; I pray not. But it really is going to take a whole lot of ‘little people’ shouting real loudly if things are ever going to change.

So, please, stand up right where you are in your own corner of the world and speak the truth. When something is not right:

Call your mayor’s office.

Email your congressional leaders.

Write the editor of your local newspaper.

Run for your city council.

Address your school board.

Petition your local library.

Volunteer at your polling place.

Research before you vote – and then vote in every election.           

Most of all, be brave enough to confront the naked emperor and his idiotic entourage and tell them that enough is enough.

Expose the lies. Speak the truth: “The emperor has no clothes!”