Posted by
The Secular Conservative on Friday, November 24, 2006 4:55:50 PM
I keep hearing that we need to look forward to change in 2008. We lost in 2006, but there’s still hope in two years. Why do we need to wait for elections to institute change? Politics isn’t everything. [Inspired by FreedomPress]
Have you heard those polls cited where Americans are happy in their own lives but aren’t happy with where the country is going? Rush Limbaugh often cites these polls and doesn’t understand who is responding to such polls. After all, he argues, how can someone be happy and unhappy at the same time. He chalks it up to the media’s creation of unhappiness based on what we think other people are going through, even though we’re perfectly happy individually. I think that general argument is true, but I would be one of those respondents that says I’m happy and yet feel the country is moving in the wrong direction.
Here’s why: I’m happy with my life and the direction it’s going. For example, my income increases every year, I have skills that I could take to other companies or use to start a business, I’m well educated, I have a happy family (as much as is possible with a teenager), etc. But at the same time, I don’t think our country is on the right track. Judges are overruling the will of the people (either directly or as represented through government officials), juries are awarding millions to undeserving complainants (hot coffee from McDonald’s, anyone?), and socialism continues to permeate the culture in harmful ways (apparently universal healthcare is now inevitable, it’s just a matter of how much it can be contained). Also, I see us coming dangerously close to an appeasement attitude towards militant Islam, following the model of Western Europe and the U.N.
Even with Republicans in office our country is on a dangerous path, so I’m not feeling so good about the country’s prospects. But waiting until 2008 is not the answer. Instead, we as individuals should stand up on a daily basis for what’s right.
Conservatives are generally a quiet folk, and we’re content to let liberal ideas permeate conversations around us because we’re so used to being a minority voice. After all, everything we see on television tells us our ideas are bigoted. Here are some suggestions on how individual conservatives can change the world before the next election (and hopefully after):
- Don’t get out of jury duty. Everyone knows that people on a jury are simply the ones who weren’t smart enough to get out of jury duty. Since conservatives usually work by day, we like to get out of jury duty and focus on more important things in our lives. I’d ask you to accept that jury notice and, when you are impaneled, speak up against those who want to “punish big business” and remind everyone that so-called victims must share in some responsibility (I’m speaking about those who burn themselves with coffee, not true victims of negligence).
- Say Merry Christmas. When you’re shopping this holiday season, say “Merry Christmas” when you get the chance. Something like 95% of Americans celebrate Christmas, even if they don’t do it in the traditional Christian way. And those who don’t celebrate are rarely offended by the statement because they know they’re living in a country where 95% of the citizens celebrate.
- Stand up for what works. Stop making decisions based on what feels right, and tell others to do the same. Things like affirmative action, an increased minimum wage, and raising taxes on the rich sound nice, but none of them work. Demand results, and cast your votes based on those results.
- Speak your mind. We all think we’re in the minority with our conservative opinions, but we’re not. When you hear someone say that Bush lied about Iraq, speak up and say, “No he didn’t.” Then reasonably explain the facts and point them to an objective definition for the word “lie.” There are more conservatives around you than you think, and if we all start to speak up, we’ll realize we’re more numerous than we think. The reason liberals feel free to speak openly is because they hear their words parroted back to them from television. Once we start to parrot each other, conservatives will also feel free to speak up.
- Talk to your kids. Our children are being indoctrinated at the earliest ages. In the last four weeks, for example, we’ve been talking to our ten-year-old about second-hand smoke, global warming, and gay marriage. She already has politically-correct positions on all these issues, and we’ve had to patiently walk her through our opinions and the missing facts from what she’s learned in school. By the way, what did you learn in school when you were ten? Somehow I don’t remember these. Oh yeah, and vote for school vouchers so we can move our kids out of schools that would rather brainwash than teach.
While I respect the notion that our country is in trouble, I reject the idea that we can only change things through elections. Certainly elections are a factor, and one of the most decisive ways to influence national policy, but we don’t have to wait until 2008 to make a difference.
-tsc