I have an innate reverence for the founders of this republic, their unique genius and the genius of the foundation they laid for this nation – the greatest, most prosperous and freest nation that has ever existed on this earth.

“Throughout history, government has proved to be the chief instrument for thwarting man’s liberty.  Government represents power in the hands of some men to control and regulate the lives of other men.  And power, as Lord Acton said, corrupts men.  ‘Absolute power,’ he added, ‘corrupts absolutely.’” [1] For that reason our founders, students of that history, clung tenaciously to the principle of limited government.

I have a news flash that was not news to our founders: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS UTOPIA.  At least there is no such thing on this earth.  Power hungry tyrants promise to remove from our path all of the risks and responsibilities of living in exchange, of course, for just a little of our liberty, which in the end will be all of our liberty.  Citizens no longer need to care for aging parents or even handicapped children.  In exchange we have burdensome taxes and a bloated, corrupt and unaccountable bureaucracy that cannot be controlled or even comprehended.  All of the things that used to be the concern of extended families, charitable societies, and churches are now the purview of an invasive government.  It would be hard to truly make the case that society is better for it.  Our prisons and parole lists are full of people who never learned any family loyalty or duty.  As Benjamin Franklin said, “Those who trade liberty for security will have neither liberty nor security.”

Conservatism is simply loyalty to the principles upon which this nation was founded.  It does not change from decade to decade or generation to generation.  Some today claim to be conservatives but they mostly buy into all the massive federal programs to spend and control but claim they will spend less or administer these programs more benignly.  It would be difficult to come up with the name of one true conservative in the Congress of the United States today.

As a young person I was intensely interested in government and politics.  As I said, it was innate.  It was not a by product of the family in which I grew up.  I watched with keen interest the televised portions of both the Democrat and Republican Conventions.  I attended a couple of meetings of the John Birch Society (too far out for me).  I read much.  During the summer of 1964, between my sophomore and junior years in high school I read “The Conscience of a Conservative” by Barry Goldwater and I found my home in the Conservative Movement.   As conservatism is timeless so is Senator Goldwater’s book.  My little paperback edition still sits on my bookshelf 45 years later.  “State power, considered in the abstract, need not restrict freedom: but absolute state power always does.  The legitimate functions of government are actually conducive to freedom.  Maintaining internal order, keeping foreign foes at bay, administering justice, removing obstacles to the free interchange of goods…” [2] These are still words to live by for me.

Since conservatism is timeless, it needs no update, but does need to be constantly restated.  A recent restatement is the concise and incisive “Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto” by Mark R. Levin of the Landmark Legal Foundation.  I endorse this book as a framework for more current issues to be examined in light of the constitution.

True conservatives like me and Mark Levin have become dinosaurs in this day.  I am approaching 62 years old and welcome this forum to express my deepest political convictions but I do it with some nostalgia and sorrow.  I have been politically active all of my adult life until recently.  I must confess I have given up.  The corruption in our government I think is more massive than most of us can conceive.  The dumbing down of our citizenry is just about complete. Government schools have become social cesspools where little true education takes place.  The philosophy of getting something for nothing is pervasive.  All I can do is sit back and watch as my fellow citizens clamor for more government programs like universal health – I’m not sure whether to call it “care” or “insurance” because it will be neither.

I take some heart in the demonstrations and voices of those who are opposing this massive government take-over but I truly believe they will not win out when it comes to voting out the corrupt politicians that dominate our Congress.  And so my remaining years will be spent concentrating on my family and grandchildren but not in any political activity.  I will still be an observer because the habit of being a political news junkie would be too hard to break.  And I will still pray that God will bless America.

[2] Ibid. p. 17