Column for March 8, 2012

Object lessons sometimes can drive the point home a lot easier than attempting to explain complicated concepts to a child. It sometimes works wonders with my nine-year-old. He is often in the car with me when the morning news is on the radio. As such, he will sometimes get civics lectures, history lectures, religious instruction, or just plain common sense discussions depending upon the subject matter on the radio. This is especially true when I have a talk radio program on and we get into discussions. Usually a discussion begins when he sees me get very frustrated and react to what I am hearing.

Just recently, there was a discussion about a famous talk radio show host who referred to a woman that testified before Congress as “a slut”. She had testified about her lascivious lifestyle as well as that of others she knows, and that she can’t afford all the expense of birth control as a result. Forrest Gump said in the movie of that same title, “My mama always said, ‘Stupid is as stupid does.’” Well, the fictional Gump’s mother is not the only one to have always said that; so did my mom. That principle transcends to behaviors as well. 

Because of a lifestyle choice, this woman wanted us taxpayers and/or insurance subscribers to pay for her birth control. If one performs a deed, the one performing it should be responsible for the consequences and responsibilities therefor, not others who are responsible enough to run their own lives well and pay for their own habitual needs. 

It just so happened that my wife and I were in the car with our son and our topic of conversation was about taxpayers paying for the actions and habits of others rather than them paying for their own choices. My son was wondering a bit about the conversation, so I decided to include him in the discussion.

I asked him if he would like to see other children in school get good grades, as he has been getting. Of course he did, was his response. I told him that I would contact the principal of the school and see about taking one of the A grades that he got and split it with a C average student. That way, both he and the other student could enjoy a B grade. “No way,” I was told. “I worked hard for my A. That isn’t fair. I shouldn’t have to get a lower grade just because someone else didn’t do as good as I did!”

“Why not,” I asked? “Why should other students get lower grades than you? What if they don’t have the opportunity to study as much as you do, have parents who make them do their homework, or maybe they just aren’t as smart as you? Why should you get a good grade and them not?”

“Because I earned my grades,” my son interjected. “It isn’t fair that I should work to earn my grades and have them taken away and given to someone who didn’t earn as good a grade! I earned it!”

“Congratulations, you are not a Democrat,” I informed him.

That discussion stuck with him, because he brought it up to me again just today. I know that this will be much to the chagrin of some members of the family who are loyal Democrats, regardless of the candidate or issues.

I remember my wife having a discussion with an elderly member of the family about a corrupt politician that is in office in Harnett County. My wife encouraged this dear old woman to vote for someone else in the (then) coming election. “But we can’t have a Republican in office,” was the naive response. The funny thing is that I know the family’s values. They have a strong work ethic, appreciate freedom, oppose welfare programs, oppose affirmative action, believe in merit based advancement, have been in and continue to run small businesses, want low taxes, and oppose things such as abortion. Those are conservative values, and none of which are traits of the present day Democrat Party. And yet there are people who will continue to vote that way regardless all because of some archaic, fallacious, and dangerous preconceived notion stemming back to the days of abolition.

I am still no fan of the Republican Party, believe me. I lament its current state and in general, its crop of candidates. If I could find an honest, conservative Democrat, he or she would get my vote. I just have not run across any in my lifetime. Then again, I have not run across many GOP candidates that are that way, either.

Column for Jan. 14, 2010

Democrats are going to lose big in the 2010 elections. At least that is what I keep hearing. I read a lot of news sites on the internet and listen to a decent amount of talk radio. Occasionally I get to watch some news shows with commentary on the television. One mantra that keeps getting repeated is that the Democrats are going to lose a lot of seats in Congress. I am not so sure of that.

I do know that there is a huge groundswell of resentment towards the continuing tax and spend behavior of government at all levels. I know that millions of people are royally miffed at the attempted hijacking of our economy, our health care system, and our form of government.

Just this week I was reading an article in which a newspaper listed the 100 most influential liberals and the 100 most influential conservatives in America. The list was almost laughable, since some very liberal Republicans such as Lindsey Graham made the list of conservatives. The one thing that this newspaper misses is the same thing that most politicians in office miss. There are a huge number of conservatives in this country and they are not necessarily Republicans.

I am one of those people. I did not hold my nose and vote for John McCain in the last presidential election. I just could not do it. Even if he were the lesser of two evils, it would still have been a choice for evil. In the Selma municipal election, I had the same quandary. I will probably have that same dilemma often in the future.

I just read an opinion column with some of the same sage advice that I have been dispensing. The column had 10 tips for Republicans in the upcoming election season. Amongst them were considerations for a return to conservative principles. For all the rhetoric we heard in the last Presidential Primary season about Ronald Reagan and Reagan style principles, the Republicans ran leftward anyway.

Just because people want liberal Democrats out of power does not mean that they want Republicans in power. Unfortunately, there is not much of a choice in this two party dominant system we have today. The GOP cheesed me off a long time ago but I held my nose in their support for years. Eventually I wanted fresh air. Alas, I have found no viable or effective third parties with which to affiliate.

I am a conservative. I do not apologize for that. Actually, I could be more correctly described as a classic liberal, which is not to be confused with what are commonly called liberals today. I believe in freedom. I believe in small government, fiscal responsibility, personal accountability, and morality in all levels of government. My political views are determined by my moral views, which are determined by my religious views. I was not always a conservative. I used to be a Democrat voting, abortion supporting, and religion hating ignorant fool. Though I was for small government and fiscal responsibility, I was fairly loose on many other issues. Then I grew up.

Personally, I don't know if we can rescue the country from the hands of America hating socialists now. They are determined to weaken this nation from within rather than from without. Internal weakening will by default cause us to be weak from without, as well. Here is what I do know. If the GOP wants to rescue this country, not just win, they are going to have to get radically conservative. What good are Republicans in office if they capitulate to and continue in the ways of their predecessors?

In order to fix a radical problem, we need a radical solution. A return to the political values that won the Cold War, flamed the Industrial Revolution, and won The American Revolution in the 1700's seems so radical by today's standards. But that is what we need. Otherwise, why bother? Putting a finger in a leaking dike may delay the inevitable deluge, but it won't solve any problems.

I hear the Beatles song "Revolution" in my head. Sure, I am on the opposite side of a lot of their ideologies, but the lyrics are actually applicable to how I am thinking right now.
"You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world…
You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan…
You say you'll change a constitution
Well, you know
We'd all love to change your head.
You tell me it's the institution,
Well, you know
You better free your mind instead."