Defining Conservatism

I feel as though the label of conservatism has been hijacked by modern day republicanism. Especially in the eyes of those who have felt they’ve never had a home or have been served by the GOP. The two are no longer synonymous, maybe they never were.

That said, I am a proud conservative. This conservatism is birthed out of conviction to love and serve ALL people through empathy and compassion; (Though I may disagree with their ideology, I do believe the same is true of most liberals, because that is mostly what I’ve encountered.) I wish to define what I believe political conservatism is. My *personal* conservative tenets are as follows:

• POLITICAL IDEOLOGY: I support Individualism — as individuals have intrinsic worth and we advocate for the interests of individuals rather than a collective. (This should inform how we legislate.) Collectivism, says the goals of the collective are more important than the goals of individuals. Which according to the definition, most may agree; it sounds honorable.

However, in the context of legislating, I believe it is individualism that leads to fulfilling the goals of the collective. In collectivism, someone is always left out of consideration. These groups are often idenitified by qualifiers such as ethnicity, gender, religion, nationality, wealth, status, etc. Also, “groups” often don’t think monolithically and therefore its likely one (or more) within the collective could not have their opinion or worldview heard or acknowleged.

That said, a collective is ultimately just what’s called “methodological-individualism” - which simply means a collective is made up of individuals who have their own set of circumstances and even beliefs that guide their actions, which can be different from other individuals within the same collective. So collectivism at a large scale doesn’t quite hold up. (At a family level it seems to hold up much better; later I even encourage a nuclear family structure, which is very much collectivist.)

• ROLE OF GOVERNMENT: I believe in Limited Government, giving more power to citizens at the state level (making legislating more Democratic).

• WELFARE: I believe in philanthropy/civic engagement as a means of community welfare / as opposed to a *large* government-ran welfare system. (Think Arthur Guinness and providing remedy for clean drinking water, Mark Cuban and providing pharmaceutical drugs at affordable costs, Elon Musk providing internet to Ukraine, Lebron James’ school in Akron, OH; etc.)

• FAMILY: I affirm the traditional (and nuclear) family structure is not only important, but it is the foundation of a healthy society. (Fathers & Mothers are important in the villages that raise children.)

• LIFE: I am unequivocally pro-life. Abortion is inherently inhumane. Euthanasia should be illegal. The death penalty is murder and should be abolished.

We should invest in healthcare that is affordable for all Americans, serve families, women and children better than we are (i.e. parental leave, address the financial burden of childcare, serve struggling and scared pregnant women, make adoption easier and less expensive, improve the foster care system, etc.)

• FREE SPEECH: Speech shall be free and unprohibited up unto the threshold which is the law. (Unpopular opinion: Misinformation falls under free speech. Opposing ideologies fall under free speech. We should be more concerned with educating the general public to identify truth.)

• GUNS/SECOND AMENDMENT: I support the second amendment, while advocating for common-sense gun laws (gun licenses, background checks, mental health screenings, etc.) — the second amendment was included to protect citizens from a tyrannical government, I personally believe we are far from that (disagreement in political ideology is NOT tyranny), but in the chance the government does become such, citizens should be empowered to resist an oppressive government.

• CAPITALISM: I support capitalism and the free market, I believe in lowering the barrier for individuals to open businesses. I acknowledge capitalism has *potential* disadvantages, however I believe in most people to pursue a compassionate capitalism.

”I’m all for capitalism at its purest, but it requires capitalists acting like human beings first.” — Mark Cuban

• SCIENCE: I believe in a traditional and historic definition of science. Hypotheses that cannot be repeated and observed (via the scientific method) ARE ONLY THEORIES, not scientific fact. (i.e. Any age of earth is a theory, Evolution is a theory, the science that affirms there are only two genders is a scientific fact, etc.)

• RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: I believe in religious liberty to all peoples, to worship freely with a separation between Church and State (which should keep the State out of Church affairs — which is what separation of Church & State originally meant and still does mean today).

Further, we are not a theocracy. Therefore, the Church as an institution should not be involved in politics or legislating. However, individuals should be empowered to allow their moral background to inform their legislation. That is what each politician does, regardless of their religion or faith (or lack thereof).

• IMMIGRATION: I support an immigration system that allows for immigrants to apply for citizenship, quickly and efficiently with an appropriate and objective (non-discriminatory) vetting process.

• REFUGEES: I support serving refugees fleeing extreme conditions (with appropriate vetting for bad actors).

• EDUCATION: I believe the first line of our education system is the home. Parents should not neglect their responsibility to *oversee* their children’s education. (Note: this does not mean parents should be teaching their kids what they themselves don’t know, but parents should teach values/principles. Parents should also ensure their children are in good school systems.) Parent’s have the right to know school curriculums, and any sensitive conversations their student has within school and/or with teachers/administrators.

• SOCIAL/RACIAL JUSTICE: Ethnic harmony begins with empathy. Empathy should lead to opportunities for “two-way education.” Traditional Education is also important to understand our Nation’s ugly past, much of which does still affect victims of that past today. Though I do not believe it is in any American’s best interest to live with a victim mentality, many Americans are indeed still victims to systemic inequalities. (i.e. Redlining, Education/School to prison pipeline, discriminatory and unequal court sentencing, etc.)

•LAW ENFORCEMENT: We should support, equip, fund, and educate law enforcement to better serve their communities. We should expect law enforcement departments to address implicit biases through education, ongoing counseling, and community outreach and partnerships.

Most importantly,

• WORLDVIEW/POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE: “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” — ‭‭Micah‬ ‭6:8‬ ‭

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Resources:

*If you identify with much of this, from a place of both Conviction for righteousness and still a deep compassion for people, Check out the And Campaign. (Note: They have not endorsed anything I’ve said here, these are my personal ideas, beliefs, and convictions alone. You can find more information at https://www.andcampaign.org)

*Also check out the American Solidarity Party and their party platform. (Note: The ASP have not endorsed anything I’ve said here, these are my personal ideas, beliefs, and convictions alone. You can find their platform at https://www.solidarity-party.org)