It was shocking, but I don’t use that word in a negative sense. It was shocking because I realized I hadn’t seen women openly advocating for things like gun ownership, Christianity, and motherhood for some time. It really made me realize how inundated I was with leftist messaging. Abortion, feminism, anti-gun propaganda, and the denigration of the nuclear family are my day-to-day norm when it comes to interactions with society.

Here, the women were proudly defying the leftist messaging. They wanted to embrace their femininity. They weren’t confused about their gender. They weren’t denying who they were in order to fit into some pop-delusion being pushed on their sex. They were proud Christians, gun owners, and believers of the American dream. You were just as likely to hear about how women could be the future CEO of their own company as about them being future stay-at-home moms, and both occupations were treated with equal respect, without caveat. //

Another thing I was shocked by was the total lack of denigration of men. I realized I had so often seen “girl power” associated with putting down men that not hearing it in these situations felt alien. In fact, some speakers wove complimentarily and empowering statements toward men into their speeches. Radio show host Dana Loesch was escorted on stage by her eldest son, and at one point, she highlighted the importance of good conservative men.

The event wasn’t shy about relationships. A marriage to a good man was spoken about from time to time, but it defied leftist assumptions and accusations. Subservience was never pushed. It was all about partnerships that brought out the best in both. It was about a healthy family life that fulfilled both husband and wife. They treated both men and women as two respected sides of the same coin, not two divided groups with a victim/oppressor dynamic.

The fact that this was blowing my mind really gives me pause about the times we live in. It was a reminder that the filter being put on the country by mainstream culture is an illusion. America is still here, and I was standing right in the middle of it.