The Man in the Arena: We Need Fighters, Not Fence-Sitters

By Chaz Evanson, Candidate for Governor of Colorado Restore. Reform. Protect.

“It is not the critic who counts… The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…” Theodore Roosevelt, 1910

We live in a time when the critics are loud and the courageous are few. When social media warriors lob their insults from behind screens but refuse to stand for truth when it counts. When politicians polish their talking points instead of rolling up their sleeves and doing the hard work of restoring liberty. But history, justice, and righteousness don’t belong to the sideline cynics. They belong to the man in the arena.

I’m not running for governor because it’s easy. I’m running because it’s right. Because I believe with all my heart that Colorado is worth fighting for and so do you. If we want to preserve the blessings of liberty, we can no longer afford to sit comfortably in the bleachers while our Constitution is shredded, our children indoctrinated, our economy suffocated, and our rights trampled.

"This is the hour that demands men and women of courage to enter the arena."

The Arena Is Dirty, Bloody, and Necessary. The arena isn’t clean. It’s not comfortable. It’s not a place for polished reputations or plastic smiles. It’s where real battles are fought. It’s where conviction meets conflict. It’s where your faith is tested and your courage is revealed. It’s where you get knocked down, mocked, and misrepresented, but it’s also where change happens.

What does it take to get in the arena? It takes more than opinions. It takes action. It takes more than emotion. It takes endurance. And it takes more than a complaint. It takes a call.

That’s what I’m answering. That’s what I’m inviting you to answer.

Critics Will Always Come, Ignore Them. Roosevelt was right. The critic will always have something to say. Always pointing fingers, never lifting hands. They’re the ones who say, “It’ll never work,” while others labor to rebuild. They scoff at sacrifice because they’ve never made one. But I’ve spent a lifetime standing up under fire, on foreign soil and now on Colorado’s. And I will not be moved by the sneers of those too afraid to act.

We don’t need more commentators. We need more warriors, men and women of conviction who love their God, love their country, and will not bow to tyranny in any form.

Our State Is the Arena. The arena is right here. It’s our school board meetings and county commissioner hearings. It’s the family trying to keep their property in the face of unjust taxes. It’s the parent fighting to protect their child from woke ideology. It’s the small business owner navigating crushing regulations. It’s the voter tired of being ignored by both parties.

The arena is Colorado. And the time is now.

Courage Is Contagious. History is filled with men who dared to step forward when others shrank back. The Founders did. The Black Robe Regiment did. The civil rights leaders did. And we must do the same. Not because we’re perfect. Not because it’s safe. But because freedom is worth the fight.

It’s easy to criticize from the sidelines. It’s easy to complain and retreat. But it takes courage to build. To stand. To lead. To try, fail, and try again. But that’s exactly what this moment requires.

I’m Not Afraid of the Arena, And You Shouldn’t Be Either. I’ve been in the arena before. Twenty years in the Marines taught me how to fight with honor and stand under pressure. Now I’m fighting again—not with bullets, but with truth. Not with hatred, but with conviction. Not for myself, but for the generations who will inherit the decisions we make today.

Join me. Step out of comfort and into purpose. Whether your arena is your home, your community, your church, or your Capitol, it’s time to show up. Time to speak out. Time to fight the good fight.

The credit doesn’t belong to the cynics, the cowards, or the corrupted. It belongs to those who dare greatly.

So, let’s take our place in the arena, not for applause, but for liberty.

Because Colorado is worth it.

Because truth still matters.

Because God is watching.

And because we were born for such a time as this.