A while back, I mentioned a truism learned during my retail days. It’s not the angry customer who fumes, fusses, frets and otherwise makes a “I’m never shopping here again” ruckus you have to worry about. They always come back. They enjoy being the center of attention. No, it’s the customers who without a word — to you — say “I’m not coming back” that should concern you. Why? Unlike the noisemakers, they actually don’t come back. Ever.

In a very similar fashion, when there is a conflict where it’s one side or the other with no middle ground, and there is dissension in the ranks over one or more leaders, it’s not the squawkers that should be worried about. It’s the people who quietly say to themselves or perhaps a close circle of associates, “I’m going to sit this one out.” Why? Because come battle time, those who should ostensibly be loyal soldiers fighting side by side are nowhere to be found. And far too often, those who nominate themselves as leaders only to discover they stand alone against the enemy are genuinely astonished at how this could be so.

One of the most heinous things a person can do to his or her cause is place himself or herself in a situation where damaging, damning evidence about their past that can and will be used by the opposition is not confessed up front. While no one with any genuine grasp of reality expects others to be a saint whose life is unspotted by sin, everyone does expect people asking them to enlist in their cause to be honest and open about who they are, including where they’ve been and what they’ve done. If someone who by every bit of logic and reason available should be a fellow warrior learns about leadership’s past transgressions from the other side, not their own, there’s a problem. I remember Glenn Kaiser, leader of the Christian hard rock group Resurrection Band, saying during an altar call how we are all sinners, including himself. He next said, “Here are my sins.” And he named them without hesitation: ego, a weakness for porn and so on. He then said, “Those are my sins. Which ones are yours?” That’s true leadership.

As Glenn Beck has often said, the truth has no agenda. It’s the truth. It stands on its own unimpeachable merits. It also leaves us with two choices: stand atop it by proclaiming it, or be crushed underneath it by denying it. There are no other possible outcomes. None.

This is the framework. Next, the contemporary built on this framework.

It is impossible to be a conservative on Twitter and/or the blogosphere and be unaware of what I’ve dubbed the Battle of Butthurt. A lot of people have hurled very strong words at one another. Accusations have been faster and more furious than those about Fast and Furious. Charges have included withholding evidence in the Brett Kimberlin & Neal Rauhauser mess, false conversions to conservatism, at best questionable and at worst fraudulent financial practices, dishonesty, duplicity, disingenuousness and damn near every other negative word out there regardless of whether it starts with the letter D. It’s ugly, it’s not getting better and it gives zero indication of going anyway at any time, let alone soon.

Now, a couple of points before I strap on my flak jacket and dive in. First, I don’t have a dog in this fight. I get along with people on both sides of the aisle. However, I don’t believe in “go along to get along.” Some things need to be said regardless of relationships. Second, I have zero belief in the notion that an alliance on one or more points negates any and all differences on other points. Okay? Let us begin.

Ali A. Akbar, kindly step forward.

Shall we review? You didn’t reveal anything about your criminal past until the Kimberlin/Rauhauser unholy alliance dug up your records. You then gave a half-confession. No, you didn’t just drive the car and chauffeur someone trying to use a stolen ATM card. You committed credit card fraud yourself.

Now, about the National Bloggers Club. The domain name nationalbloggersclub.com has been registered since March 2011. In case you haven’t noticed, there’s nothing at that address except a blank page and some poorly written code that, if it worked, would redirect a visitor to the NBC’s Facebook page. Sixteen months and you can’t assemble a website? Really, Ali? Really?

When Aaron Walker and Stacy McCain were attacked you were Johnny on the spot, announcing to one and all you were collecting donations for them through NBC. Great. Terrific. Good for you. I’m not being sarcastic; I sincerely mean that. You then chose the most invasive, personal and account information gathering site available to host the fundraising. What, PayPal was too complicated to engineer? Someone questions you on this, you go on the offensive rather than answer simple questions concerning why you went this route. Why is that, Ali?

You use this same tack whenever someone — anyone — asks questions about NBC. What are its bylaws? Does it have any? How do people apply? Who determines, and what is the process for determining, who gains membership?

We know Michelle Malkin is on the NBC’s board of directors. We don’t know the name of anyone else who is, or even if there is anyone else on the board. Or if there is a board, period.

Who gets what amount of the donations you’ve solicited through NBC for Walker, McCain and anyone else who may be receiving financial assistance? What kind of salary do you draw, if you draw one at all? Is there anyone else on the NBC payroll? Is there even a payroll? Is there an organization, or is it all you?

These aren’t unfair questions. They are very simple, basic questions spoken without malice or any agenda save that of telling the truth. And has already been noted, the truth has no agenda. It’s just the truth.

Just tell the truth, Ali. Stop the stonewalling; stop the Nathan Thurm routine. Stop running around the country hopping from conservative event to conservative event. Just tell the truth. Just. Tell. The. Truth. This also goes for Malkin and anyone else connected with the NBC. Just. Tell. The. Truth.

That’s all.

P.S. Oh, and everyone? Quit whining and crying about Brooks Bayne being mean to you. Look, Brooks does what he does. He’s a zealot. He’s a grown man. Don’t like it, take it up with him. There have been more than a few times when I’ve read something he’s written and inwardly groaned, “Dude. You went there?!!” He’s not one to, unlike me, let it slide. I’m Grateful Dead; he’s heavy metal. But that’s all right. He does his thing; I do mine and you do yours. It’s all good and it all sorts itself out as long as you’re telling the truth.

Just tell the truth.

It’s the only cure for butthurt.

ADDENDUM: Thanks to David West, Donald Douglas and Dan Collins for the links.