What does it mean to be a conservative? For me, it means to live by these seven tenets, or principles, in our representative republic:
Faith: The Judeo-Christian heritage was at the heart of the founding of our nation, and it remains so today for me and many conservatives. We must respect this nation’s many faiths and creeds, but we must also respect those who elect not to believe in some higher power.
Family: A great nation must have great respect for the family unit. To me, that means one man and one woman in the support of children, but a great many disagree with that. Our nation must avoid those laws and regulations that fracture the home and tear apart the nuclear family. My faith also admonishes me not to be the judge of others. So I will leave that to a higher power. I accept that we live in a large, pluralistic society with lots of different opinions.
Work: “If you do not work, you will not eat” is an admonition thousands of years old. If you subsidize unemployment, then you will get more of it. Work is not something to be avoided. Work provides purpose and security and we should honor it.
Thrift: Debt kills household finances, corporate longevity, and national sovereignty. Save, then save some more.
Strong national defense: “Peace through strength” may be a cliché, but generations of American leadership have proven it to be true. There are forces in this world who hate the United States and our freedoms, regardless of how many times we may apologize or try to buy their friendship.
Respect for the rule of law: If we have no respect for the rule of law in America, then we have nothing. That means that our national executive leaders must enforce the laws of the land, without regard to their opinion of the law. Yes, that means enforce immigration laws. Defend our borders!
The defense of our personal freedoms: Assaults on our freedom come in the large variety (healthcare law), and the smaller variety (gun laws and dietary laws). Each new restriction makes us weaker, not stronger.
qcconservative 