Am I Still a Conservative?!?

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On a recent outing with a friend, in what would have probably been considered hostile territory, I admitted to being conservative.  It just came out, it's sort of just how I do things.  If I don't always like the way I do things, given afterthought.  As it turned out, that wasn't considered a faux pas.  Not that I would have minded.  That isn't what bothers me about my approach.  We went on to have a fine conversation.  Essentially I ended up speaking with a couple of liberals who had come at least to left libertarianism.  We ended not getting into great detail, but did find a huge reservoir of commonality.  The thing is, after discussing the events with my friend, a bit of a minor dustup occurred regarding conservativism, what it means, and whether to use it.  Uhrm, he thinks I am unnecessarily... blunt, as well.

Blunt as a sledge hammer, and at speed, I assured.  Not the point however, that usually works out, leaving no ice to be chewed through.  Still, beyond defining conservativism I had to decided whether to continue using the word or whether, simply mechanically, politically, technically, I am no longer conservative.  Was my friend correct?  Hold those horses.  Definitions, for my use, as I understand them, have to be hammered into relief.  I may no longer be a Republican but have I stopped being a conservative?

The notion of what a conservative is has, to a degree, just as the term liberal, been hijacked by people with bad intentions.  This goes without saying.  Much of the common terminology has to be outright rejected.  Conservatives are not troglodytes, pining away for the 1920's, the 1800's, or some mythical place or time.  Not this one and none I have met and spoken with.  For me it means not only holding, but keeping, a couple of ideas, writings, pro- and pre-scriptions as law and civil and social norms.

The Constitution, the bible and Christian faith more generally, and notions of what are right and wrong that come from these things are what make me a conservative.  The belief in one man and woman in marriage, that crimes should receive just punishments, the idea that there is clearly a right and wrong, good and bad, way to do things, live, and interact with others.  This should be impressed upon the young by their parents first, the Church next, and then maybe a bit in their education if I do tend to favor home schooling even over private schooling but certainly over public schooling, so making the notion much more manageable.  Not a nod to libertarianism really, just tradition for the last ten thousand years, save for one, later, era of Rome and modern industrialized nations.  Clearly I am not harkening back to some mythical time-place, merely an idealism that was the basis for modernized nations.  So, yeah, I am still a conservative with some libertarian leanings, if I think libertarians have simply picked up some of what mainstream conservatives have dropped, such as home schooling.

I have had it suggested that my notions require too much will, too much power in certain hands, too much pressure, not enough freedom.  While I will agree it does take a concerted effort by the government, the family, and the Church, I believe we are seeing what happens "if not".  Spare the rod, spoil the child.  We have many spoiled children, of adult anatomy, wreaking havoc on our cities, our economy, our judicial system, our educational systems, and anywhere and everywhere they have gained a foothold.  As the left likes to say, from top to bottom and from bottom to top.  With the greatest number of incarcerated people of any nation (Russia is next with 577 per 100,000) and the greatest number of federal, state, local, and other laws we have ever had to deal with, we are getting it from both ends.  It does take will, energy... backbone.  The answer to why is a blind walk through almost any city or an attempt to do a new activity or start a business.  We either choose to be moral and reap the rewards or we go the feral path and, well...  Look around.  Only moral people can be their own government.  Immoral and amoral will have to be subdued.  As to the power aspect though, ask where that power is currently residing.  To my mind, it is in far worse hands than in the hands of social and civil leadership, when it is offered them by the people.  Politicians, at all levels, should really only be a last resource when all local, down to the individual, efforts prove unsuccessful, not the default source of problem solving.

Yes, I do think that keeps me handily in the conservative column.  Many of the libertarian things, as I said, are simply things neo-conservatives, such as Republicans, have... relinquished.  Oh, and I do not believe being a Republican makes you a conservative.  As I see it, at this point, Republicans are merely socialists but of the big business sort rather than little guy type, corporatists rather than direct socialists, if there is a proper word for it.  However, this does make it quite simple to work with, and even for libertarian causes.  Yes, life is that simple for me.