A Conservative — Really?
by Margaret Snow
After many years of following politics and being a active voter and frankly, a citizen activist who actually follows legislation, reads bills, and spends time lobbying my legislators for what I believe in — I am quite amused that here in Oklahoma politicians ALL seem to be running as “Conservative.” I make no apologies for being a Constitutional Conservative, a Fiscal Conservative, and a Social Conservative in my views. The references that I find helpful in forming what I believe are on the nightstand next to my bed. They are the Bible, the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, plus an old US History book written before revisionist history was introduced into our schools.
Conservative or Progressive
If you don’t agree with me, I will still love you but for goodness sake, “Who do you think you are fooling when you call yourself a conservative?” I think the answer to that very question could be a lot of people are confused about the fact that they are likely to be “Progressives” rather than Conservatives.
If you are a Progressive, please have the integrity to claim it for those that agree with your positions. Claiming verbally now as a candidate to be conservative will not override your actual views and the positions you will take when elected. Most of your supporters will potentially be one-issue voters who don’t want to look past the agenda they feel will benefit them personally. Many of them are looking for immediate gratification regarding a particular issue that they are passionate about. They will care less or even refuse to consider, the larger picture of how a variety of positions taken today will affect the freedoms and prosperity of generations to come.
Being truly conservative requires applying the same liberty standards to every issue and doing it all the time even when we have to consider giving up something in the present that might benefit us personally.
Ideas Have Consequences
As an observer, I have come to the conclusion that voters are confused about what a real conservative is and even more confused about their own conservative status. It seems many voters are actually confused to a point where they fail to recognize that when a progressive claims to be conservative, they verbalize support for rights and liberties for citizens but take positions that are very much at odds with conservative values. Here are some examples of this type of belief system:
- Government knows better how to spend your money than you do and in order to balance a budget, government just needs a few more tax dollars to be sure its spent right and the right programs are funded.
- Progressives might agree that we should be afforded our 2nd amendment right but feel government may just know better than the citizenry how far that right goes.
- Progressives say that we should have private property rights but at a certain point, they feel government knows better than we do how to manage the property we own and love.
- Progressives think that government knows what is better for our children than we as parents do.
Truth in Labeling
Some would argue that this explanation is too extreme to describe the views of their particular candidate and that there are exceptions, but in reality a conservative believes that if we give government an inch today (or a 1% tax) they will be taking a mile (or making it 30%) in the future. I would like to see more truth in labeling. If you really are a Progressive then own it. If you really are a Conservative and get elected, please don’t open the door even an inch because we all know where that leads.
Not even in my lifetime have I actually been able to experience a period when our government has held to the guidelines that our founding fathers wrote in the most perfect document to ever govern a country. I do believe though, that there are many, like myself, who actually come close to an understanding of that precious concept and have a true desire to preserve liberty for those we will leave behind.
Margaret Snow
Graphic Credit: Cross Examined via article here on topic.
About the Author
Margaret Snow is a mother, grandmother, business owner, and native of Oklahoma. She has enjoyed a long successful career in the interior field and started five small businesses over the years both in Oklahoma and in Colorado.
She attributes the foundation for her philosophy on life as being engrained growing up on a dairy farm with hard work ethic and responsibility. Along with her Dad one of the most influential people in her life was her grandmother who lived in the home until she was ten years old. Spending many days literally side by side with her grandmother who was extremely creative, a wonderful story teller, a real historian, and a valuable instructor probably influenced Margaret’s interest in both history and current events throughout the years.
Several years ago Margaret along with her husband Mike returned to Oklahoma to live on a small portion of the old farm where Margaret grew up. Mike recently retired and although Margaret still works on select projects for her clients, today they are enjoying what they consider “the good life” and have opened a real country store on the property.
Rooted in faith, Cultivating family and freedom
Finding Gems and Sharing Them 