Sometimes I'm asked why I am a conservative and/or a Republican. Though my short response is usually "common sense," I think further elaboration might be necessary. There is so much misinformation circulating today about conservatism, especially on college campuses, that many intelligent Americans are unsure what it even means to be a conservative. This is a shame, because conservatism is exactly what America needs. Historically speaking, it is the soundest political philosophy available, yet also the least understood. As I see it, there are only two types of intelligent Americans: those who are conservative, and those who do not understand what it means to be conservative. This column is aimed at the latter.
First of all, conservatives trust the American people much more than liberals. Liberals, for example, believe in legislating morality by taxing the rich to pay for social welfare programs. They don't trust Americans to help their fellow man. They also believe Americans are too stupid to plan for their own retirement, and support programs such as social security.
Conservatives, on the other hand, believe that Americans are generally good. They believe the poor are better served by churches, synagogues, and private charity. They understand that Americans are a generous people always eager to help those less fortunate. They trust the average citizen to make the right choices about his or her retirement, and to save and invest accordingly. In short, they have faith in the common man.
Conservatives believe in liberty and in preserving the U.S. Constitution. They believe in free speech, and thus oppose "speech codes" prevalent on campuses. Though some have short-sightedly embraced the FCC, many conservatives (particularly libertarian leaning ones) oppose increasing its power. Conservatives believe in allowing private citizens to own firearms, because, again, they trust the American people to use them responsibly (not to mention it being a constitutional right). Unfortunately, liberals do not share this trust. Like elitists, they know what is best for us, even better than we do.
Conservatives believe in morality, and the concepts of right and wrong. Unlike liberals, who have embraced relativism, conservatives still believe standards should apply. This is why they oppose abortion. This is also the reason why 54% of conservatives attend church services weekly, compared to only 13% of liberals.
Though you'll hear much spin to the contrary, it is conservatives who believe in equality for all Americans. They believe people should not be discriminated against because of their race, gender, or religion. Therefore, they oppose special privileges for people because of their skin color. They believe individuals should be judged, in the words of Rev. Martin Luther King, "not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." They reject the liberals' Orwellian argument that racism can only be fought with more racism (racial quotas, etc.).
Another facet of conservative thought, and probably the most important one today, is foreign policy and national defense. Conservatives believe in a strong military and defending American interests abroad. Going back to their belief in morality, they believe evil must be confronted and defeated. It was conservatives who led the charge to defeat communism during the Cold War, and it is conservatives who are leading the charge to defeat radical Islam today.
The reason conservatives hold such positions on national security is because they believe America is a great country. They are more patriotic than liberals. I fully expect to get hate mail for making this statement, but it is true. How else would you explain the popularity of writers like Noam Chomsky or Howard Zinn in liberal circles? Want more evidence? Check out some of the postings at democraticunderground.com, or the constant listings of American failures we get from academia and the media. That's not to say that there are not many patriotic liberals (unquestionably, there are), but, on the balance, conservatives are more proud to be Americans than are liberals.
This basic patriotism explains why conservatives are so strongly in favor of protecting our country. Since they love it so dearly, they see it as worth protecting. They tend to emphasize the positives of America, while liberals emphasize (and often exaggerate) the failings. Many liberals see America as a racist, sexist, homophobic nation with a rigid class structure. Given this opinion of America, should we be surprised that they are much less likely to favor defending it?
I'll admit to generalizing a bit here. Certainly, there are exceptions to some of the points I have made. Not all liberals think the same way, nor do all conservatives. Still, generally speaking, I believe it sums up the divisions in American politics today quite accurately.
- John Norris Brown (www.johnnorrisbrown.com) is a senior at the University of Tennessee studying political science and history. Contact him at johnnyb325@aol.com. This column originally ran in The Daily Beacon, entitled "Columnist clarifies, defends a conservative view," and is available here.