It seems like only yesterday that singer/songwriter Oliver Anthony appeared out of nowhere and brought Americans of all races, creeds, and political ideologies to a halt with his song "Rich Men North of Richmond." Anthony's song not only embodied the woe and frustration of the common man, but the man himself carried with him a strong sense of morality developed from hard times and internal strife.
It was a collective moment of feeling seen and being heard, and moreover, the song was oddly relieving, like catching a breath of cool fresh air after having been nearly suffocated with stench and staleness.
Over the course of the last few weeks, Anthony has been something of a moral example to emulate. Yeah, he's rough around the edges, and he's not afraid to drop a curse or two, but when it comes to the treatment of his fellow man he's as fair as he can be, and more importantly, he tries to be a servant to those around him. He references Biblical text for guidance, and his willingness to do so has allowed for God's wisdom to spread, leaving even the likes of Joe Rogan in awe.
Oliver Anthony Reads The Bible on Joe Rogan’s Podcast pic.twitter.com/rdiMeQ57gj
— The Triune Times (@TriuneTimes) August 30, 2023
Without attempting to, Anthony became something of a leader to people, and for good reason. He holds a quiet strength and represents the best of us while being one of us. He's just a man trying to do his best every day. He's not perfect, but he's pointed his ship in the direction of one who is.
Meanwhile...
Someone else has entered stage left who represents another path in America, and one that's becoming all too common.
On Tuesday, my colleague Nick Arama reported about a Virginia State House candidate named Susanna Gibson running for a contested seat for Districted 57 in Richmond. Gibson is a 40-year-old nurse practitioner, a mother...and a work-from-home porn star.
As Arama reported, Gibson and her husband have something of a following on the live-streaming porno site Chaturbate, where people would pay "tokens" to watch her engage in sexual acts both solo and with her husband. This happened as early as last year.
There's been talk that during one of her sessions, she said that the money she received from the people watching would go to a "good cause," sparking talk about whether or not she meant that to be her campaign. If it is, then she may be in violation of campaign finance law as her donors are mostly anonymous, but investigations into this matter have yet to occur.
If Gibson had made pornographic videos in her past and had left that life behind after learning some life lessons and renouncing that lifestyle, then this wouldn't be an issue in my opinion. We all make mistakes in our past, some far worse than others, but for Gibson, this is still very fresh and it seems she's unrepentant as of this writing.
Gibson represents an issue that is infecting the Western world. Hyper-sexualization and what constitutes "morality" is now a gray area according to mainstream culture. The attempts to legitimize sex work and make it seem like a positive thing have been, sadly, successful. The at-home pornography business is a thriving market with several websites like Fansly and OnlyFans becoming household names.
More and more you'll see people, especially women, engage in this activity like it's a part-time or full-time job, depending on how much attention they draw. It's not just young women either. Nurses, teachers, housewives, and more are currently uploading images and footage of themselves engaging in a variety of sexual activities.
Gibson is among these people, and she's currently attempting to gain political office as a representative of the people, and more than that, she has support. Moreover, she's using the discovery of her porn-making as a way to milk victimhood points.
America has a choice in front of it. What kind of people do we want to be?
We could be like Anthony, a person doing the best they can to be moral and good. Not actively trying to seek power but leading through service and at the service of a higher moral authority.
Or we could be like Gibson, willing to whore ourselves out and seek power for less than noble reasons, all the while claiming victimhood for our own actions being highlighted to our inconvenience.
People like Gibson are becoming all too common in today's age and her success in being elected would only make her kind of approach toward life legitimate. People like Anthony, however, are increasingly rare, and the state of our country shows it.
The decision to be like Anthony is more difficult in the short term, but better for everyone, including yourself, in the long term. I still think America can collectively choose that path, but it starts with a refusal to take the wrong one.
