Postby drawscore » Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:34 pm
>>>to Drawscore: Since you have identified yourself as being a person who is conservative, there is something that I'd like to ask you, if you don't mind. And, it's something that I've been wanting to ask conservative people for quite some time. The question is this: Just what is it, that you want to---quote-unquote---conserve? Please, clarify this for me, enlighten me. I welcome your comments. Another thing that I would like to ask, and it's for my own understanding only---what is your age? Myself, I am 58, having just turned 58 in February. Oh yes, one more thing---it was interesting what you stated in a previous comment that "you have to consider that what and who we are, is largely defined by two things: Upbringing and environment." Yes, that is most probably very true. But, I would add something to that---The sum total of one's personal experiences in life. I think that is a major contributing factor to what we turn out to be. I could say that the "sum total" of my 58 years of life have shaped me into what I am today. Thanks for reading.<<<
I think the catch all phrase would be "traditional values." The US is traditionally a religious country, and I'm not exactly thrilled when atheists and agnostics demand that the majority of us, accommodate them, by removing "In God We Trust" from our coinage and currency, and "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance, etc. We have freedom OF religion in this country, not freedom FROM religion.
Our Constitution should be interpreted as it is written. It clearly delineates the rights and duties of the federal government and the state governments. Of course, it has to be adapted to keep up with changing times, but the one amendment that people seem to be woefully ignorant of, is the tenth. It's quite short: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
Our lawmakers have done some boneheaded things, and some things that were somewhat intelligent, but I'll concentrate on boneheaded things: The 18th Amendment, for one. You know, the one that gave us Prohibition. (1920) It was such a failure, the 21st Amendment had to be passed to repeal it. (1933)
Another one that should be repealed, is the 17th. That one provided for the direct election of senators. My reasoning, is that originally, the House of Representatives was intended to represent the people, and the senate, intended to represent the states. The people elected the representatives; the governors appointed the senators. That changed when the 17th Amendment was ratified in 1912, and went into effect in 1913.
Although not written in to the Constitution except for the President (22nd Amendment), I think term limits for senators and representatives would be a good idea, and that a proposed 28th Amendment - "Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives, and shall make no law that applies to the senators and/or representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens." - should have been passed yesterday. Did you know that congress exempted itself from the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and from ObamaCare? (and from several other laws they passed for the rest of us?)
My age? Let's just say I'm old enough to have missed Vietnam by the skin of my teeth.
And the "sum total of your life's experiences" would be your environment. It's what goes on around you, and the people with whom you interact. Six of one, a half dozen of the other.
I hope this has given you some insight into how I think. I can't speak for other conservatives, or for conservatism as a whole. But this is what I think. Not all conservatives agree with me, and there are probably some liberals that do, at least on some points.
Drawscore