Life, Liberty, Pursuit of Happiness

I thought that I would take this time to expand on a subject that I touched on a while ago in a posting titled I Don’t want Him to Succeed… posted here Jan. 15th 2009. I have included that paragraph here:

Conservatism is; individual freedom, a belief in God and Country, American exceptionality, small government, taxes that are just, fair and equitable to all, capitalism (not necessarily big business), no monopolies (especially in the public school system), and a belief in the value of each and every person and their right to pursue life, liberty and happiness as their dream guides them. These are great products that we have for sale here! They appeal to all peoples regardless of color, ethnicity, gender or background. Each one of us is free to succeed to the highest level that we are personally capable of. There are no impediments except for ourselves and the limits that we harness to our backs such as the soft bigotry of liberalism/progressivism. All we need is a good salesman once again. The truths have not changed from the Reagan era. The "Shinning City on the Hill" is still right there to reach for despite the liberals/progressives calling it an illusion.

It has come to my attention not only by talking with other Republicans and Conservatives, but listening and watching the “talking heads” appearing in/on the MSM, that there is some need to change our message, to moderate our beliefs and to package ourselves like a chain store hamburger. To so convolute our message and beliefs that you are reduced to being able to only read speeches from teleprompters that have been run through the PC mill, to the point that it becomes a vacuous droning Democrat Presidential presentation. These are the same Republicans that would have us busy “reaching across the aisle” and negotiating our principles and values away. They are the reason that the party had to purge itself last election cycle. Conservatism does not require repackaging, in fact Conservatives Still Outnumber Liberals. We lost the last election because Republicans forgot their Conservative core and were removed from office for it. There is still some denial of this by some Republicans, but it is only by the ones that still refuse to listen to the base (and the majority makeup of America). Let them perk up their ears or suffer the same fate as the last tossed out bunch.

Conservatism does indeed have a great package of goods that sell themselves if truly brought to the electorate not only in word, but deed. Conservatives value each and every citizen not for the color of their skin, not for their social class and not for their gender identification. No, we are not like the Democrats in that respect, we value each person as an American, with abilities limited only by their own desires, with limits that are only placed by the individual themselves. Conservatives believe in a helping hand, not a handout. Conservatives believe that America is best served by a free society filled with people producing goods and services that everyone wants or needs. Conservatives believe that the only “indoctrination” that schools should be imparting to our children is reading, writing, arithmetic, and an understanding and love of this Greatest Nation, America. We have seen the left of this country trying to rule from the bench that parents no longer have a right to home school their children. One can only suspect that the left is in fear of not being able to indoctrinate your children.

Conservatism cares not what religion you are or are not. That is between the Maker and yourself. Conservatism is strong family ties and more parent involvement in child rearing than Government interference in the morals/values/religious choices that we have a right to make as parents. Conservatism does not require the coercion of government for giving to help the poor. Conservatives far and away give more than liberals, and they are giving of their own money, not others. Conservatives never, ever, live by the sweat of another’s brow. The do not believe that they deserve anything of anyone else’s. Conservatives are not jealous of those who have been more successful (in fact, they use them as models) nor are they disdainful of those of less success. Conservatives believe in judging all people by the content of their character, not treating any with the soft bigotry of the left, not catering to pressure groups, not advancing one American over another for the purposes of hiring, or admissions to school, or lending practices, but taking all people on the basis of merit alone. America affords each and every Citizen the opportunity to move up and down the social ladder, with all opportunity being equal, not the outcomes. Outcomes are based on personal initiative, and yes, each of us needs a little bit of luck. Luck favors the prepared, and Conservatives favor all to be prepared. From the time of FDR there have been groups that have allowed themselves to be made reliant upon the left of this country to fix their problems, have allowed the left to steal their lives, their liberty, and their happiness, whether that has been education, housing or jobs, and that promise has as yet gone unfulfilled by the left, who keeps saying “put us back in power and we’ll fix it this time”. The common good is not served by tearing down the rich, but by lifting up the poor. The poor are not helped by hand outs, but by changing their outlook, by giving them the means to look at themselves and take direction of their own futures. By showing them that the proximity to big government is proximity to failure and hopelessness, to the dissolution of the family and the continuance of despair. Conservatives are optimists and forward looking, always working for a better day and not blaming other for the state of their own affairs. Liberals live in a world full of hate and oppression, fear and jealousy, and the desire to tear success down rather than bring the needy up, thereby giving an example of why you should not be successful. Remember, the only racism on display in the last election cycle was from the left. It is worth noting the overt racism/bigotry of the new administration as well. We need to remember that it was the Republicans the pushed through civil rights in the 60’s. The left believes that “trickle down economics” can not work in a free capitalist society, but does believe that it works if the government coercively takes money and the government performs the “trickle down”.

The only thing lacking in the Republican Party right now is a charismatic Conservative able to present our beliefs, our “package” if you will. These are beliefs that we in fact share with a majority of Americans, and they require no moderation. They are in truth the message of hope and the promise of a better life for all Americans, not the oppression of bureaucrats taking away all hope of a better day and the pride of self sufficiency that is the true realization of the promise of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness (I will expand on this in a future posting). There are several possible candidates on the radar, and the harder the left rails against them, the closer I believe that we are to a correct choice. The Nation is still center right at the least and overwhelmingly still Conservative, a fact that scares the left to even greater fits of hatred and fear. Beware the ugly consequences of leftist hate and bigotry throughout history. Conservatives merely ask that you consult your good conscience, we believe in the ability of the People to make good choices when they are not lied to by a media out of control and in the camp of socialist influence.