Across the sea of people attending the Republican National Committee in early July was a breathtaking array of red, white, and blue attire, cowboy hats, “Make America Great Again” signs, and a shining, contagious sense of optimism. The speakers were diverse and dignified, the crowd was spirited, and “Trump Vance” signs waved through the audience like flags of hope. “Peace Through Strength” declared one of the handheld signs, and it stood out. Picture that printed declaration in a crowd of Democratic leaders, and you might scoff. What strength? A feeble world leader, his ineffectual cronies, and a tribe of mealy-mouthed constituents don’t convey an expectation of strength. In this conservative crowd, however, a slogan of strength found a fitting home. The party is growing stronger as it unites, and Donald Trump displayed his physical and mental fortitude by standing up and refusing to back down after the attempt on his life. At face value, “Peace Through Strength” is a compelling rallying cry. But the concept of attaining peace through the demonstration of strength has a deeply rooted history in global politics. It’s not just a 2024 campaign slogan, it is a tried and true survival approach appropriate on a large scale between ancient dynasties and modern world powers, but also on a deeply personal level. One of the greatest ways to achieve personal resiliency and mettle is to build mental and physical strength. For young conservative women in the United States in the year 2024, achieving a certain supply of grit and impudence to stand on our morals, uphold our values, and remain tough in the face of animosity is a requirement. One of the best ways to achieve the confidence needed to stand firm in this perilous world is to strengthen our physical bodies. If you thought being strong and tough was just for the boys, it’s time for young women in our country to shape peace in our homes, peace in our communities, and peace in our country by becoming physically stronger.
When I enlisted in the United States Air Force I was seventeen years old and very petite. A lifelong dancer, my frame was wiry with thin limbs and slight enough to propel me high into the air for leaps and spins. Wanting to serve my country, I decided to become a cop for the Air Force, enlisted, and then took a tour of my new unit prior to leaving for Basic Military Training. I stepped foot onto the base and realized with alarm that I was in over my head. The men I would work alongside were imposing and strong. I was going to be expected to hold my own against all manner of suspects in a law enforcement setting, the vast majority of whom would be quite a bit larger and stronger than me. I would be working out and training in different combat modalities with the men in my unit, and I would need to keep up. I needed to get stronger, bigger, faster, and tougher – and I needed to do it immediately. I started heading to the gym. I lifted weights, I ran, I ate, and I chugged protein shakes. Before long, I could hang with the boys. Then, I was outperforming the boys. I gained muscle, strength, and physical credibility amongst my fellow airmen. But the most surprising characteristic I gained, and the component that has carried through in a positive way to the majority of my life, was confidence. And, within that confidence, a sense of peace; I can, and will, successfully do hard things.
There is a certain level of confidence that comes from being sure of the capacity and capability of your own physical body. You can move through the world unafraid of potential challenges or challengers. Pushing your body to do something exerting on a daily basis ensures that you understand your threshold for resilience, fortitude, and tenacity. It is a thread of self-understanding that will carry through to everything else you encounter. The greatest and most beneficial irony of strength-building is that the harder you work during dedicated movement, the easier the strenuous aspects of your daily life become. Your walk to work is easier. Your daily chores and housework are easier. Carrying children during pregnancy and delivering them is easier. Chasing little kids around is easier. The noise of the physical demands of your daily life are muted just a bit because they are now easier to do, and the volume of the impactful work you’re able to accomplish is increased due to the extra energy. You are more cognitively available at work. You are more patient with your children. You have the mental space to operate more efficiently, and you improve in your job and at home. Being a responsible American woman today necessitates keeping a level head, logical thinking, and moral reasoning. These are all traits that have taken a back seat in the chronically energy depleted lives of so many. When your body is running inefficiently, your baseline functioning is lower as a result. It’s a small-scale, personified version of the decline of our country at this very moment. Our current President and government are ineffectual, and therefore every component built on top of this foundation is frustrated, congested, and deficient. If we can improve our country’s health by bringing in a strong leader, everything else will be constructed atop a firm foundation. And, inside of this cocoon of strength, we are fearless. We are indefatigable. To challenge us is fruitless – we establish peace through power.
Finding personal peace through strength isn’t about becoming a super-athlete or bodybuilder. It is about finding a way to challenge your body in a manner that brings you happiness and is sustainable for your lifestyle. You don’t have to become the best at what you do. You just have to do something. Take the stairs. Choose a parking spot further away. Start your day with yoga. Take a fitness class. Try a Couch to 5k app. Learn to do a pushup. There is nothing too small or trivial when it comes to improving your strength. Every little bit counts, and every little bit means something on a larger scale. In the same way that the values inside of each individual American home shape the country as a whole to the positive or the negative, so too do those little pieces of daily physical challenge. One of the best ways to rebuild the moral core of our country is by embracing the Trump 2024 campaign slogan of “Peace Through Strength” on an individual level, especially as women. We are the center of our households, leaders in the workforce, and carry the heavy burden of directly influencing the beliefs of the next generation through our children. We have the greatest chance of success as a nation if we each do our part. Imagine your personal strength as the Victory Garden of 2024. If every woman planted and began to cultivate her own style of physical strength and toughness, the durability of all conservative women would increase as a result. Individual to household, household to community, community to nation.
If we want a peaceful country for our future families, we need a strong head of government. We need to elect a strong leader. We need people in power that have grit and tenacity. And inside of ourselves we must establish these traits as well. The left values weakness. They seek to elevate themselves not by becoming better, but by mandating the demise of groups and individuals with dominant traits they perceive as threatening to the glass palace of political correctness. It is part of what makes being a conservative woman so difficult in this country. Like an insecure animal, the left is ready and willing to lash out, not because they are stronger, but because they are scared. We can arm ourselves with strength of body to establish strength of mind, and in that we gain confidence, durability, and effectiveness. This is where true peace lives, personally and globally. We are not to be messed with. We stand on a rock of integrity and virtue. Peace Through Strength, and then strength because of peace. Stand tall, conservative women. You are doing good work, and you are stronger than you can ever imagine.
Jordan Musser 