If you are conservative

LARRY ANDERSON
Larry Anderson

Political labels are plentiful and can carry connotations not desired.

The American political scrum invites differences, exploits them, and then justifies behaviors and attitudes based on a sense of superior understanding. Each side believes it is right. Nothing else makes sense.

For most people the division is clear. They understand why they are either liberal or conservative or fall somewhere in-between. These folks know the issues and can defend their positions. There is no dart tossing in the voting booth.

They are cognizant of what is good for their families, their community, and their country, but that doesn’t mean their opinions are the same as their neighbor’s. In America, citizens enjoy a diversity of opinion in the hope somewhere during political pugilism differences will merge for the greater good.

Some folks don’t know where they are politically, and there is nothing wrong with that within the realm of choice. Choosing not to vote or being apolitical is saying, “I don’t like what I see and hear; therefore, I abstain.”

I have also heard quite a lot of, “All politicians are the same,” or “One vote doesn’t matter, so why bother?” or “Nothing will change, so why worry about it?”

Why indeed? Options are fine as long as they aren’t a cover for excuses. Indifference leads to social atrophy.

I know I am a fiscal conservative and a social moderate. I am such partly because I understand the differences within the alignment. Not everyone seemingly does, but many Americans keep their politics to themselves and then surprise everyone on election day.

That is what happened in November and why polls are now suspect. The American voter can not be taken for granted or wholly predicted. That is a good thing.

In finding a political footing, it is useful to know what a conservative is for several reasons: first, conservatives have been misrepresented by the left; second, politics is based on differences, not similarities; and third, most Americans are center right; that is, conservative to moderate, no matter how they vote. Many Democrats who vote their party are no closer to being a leftist than I am. We differ mostly in party affiliation.

One perpetual myth is conservatives dislike change, and that is why the progressive policies of the left are resisted. Well, I can tell you conservatives such as myself do not fear change. What we don’t like is carelessness, waste, and an ideology that strays from traditional fundamentals: equality, opportunity, work and commonality.

The left would have you believe America has failed because our society is racist, filled with hate and greed, and locked into an old-fashioned system that only works for a few.

You can determine how positive that message is compared to the conservative position.

While the left believes big government is the solution to everything, conservatives believe in a limited partnership between government and the citizens it is charged to protect. Government should be for its citizens, not the perpetuation of a party.

Too much government, conservatives feel, leads to diminished freedom and accountability to entities outside oneself. Conservatives are individualists and opposed to group think. To the far left, Cuba, where only one line of thought is allowed, is dreamy.

Righties do not fear or oppose government. We do think literally hundred of bureaus and agencies may be too many. Some can surely be consolidated or eliminated.

Conservatives like myself believe state governments are more efficient, more cost effective, and far more accountable than federal bureaucracies.

We on the right support the constancy of the Constitution. The left sees it as an archaic parchment lost in a complex new world made so by themselves.

Conservatives want a healthy environment. Conservatives conserve, but we all know oil, gas and coal industries produce good jobs, many currently vacated by the actions of control fanatics.

Good jobs end need; bad government creates it and then offers itself as a solution to it. That is the leftist process.

If you agree doubling the national debt in eight years is not a good thing, then you may be a conservative. Ditto if you think deficit spending and open borders will lead to economic and social mischief. Perhaps you think strength is better than weakness.

If so, you are conservative. Welcome.