Monday, August 15, 2011

****FREE STUFF

Some have questioned my column title, Always Right, Sometimes Wrong, so let me explain.

Politically, I always lean to the right! I have often said that I am the only true conservative I know. Okay, that phrase is an exaggeration. 
Many of my friends and acquaintances identify as conservatives.  But almost all of them, at some time or other, favor retaining their own little entitlements. They want their stuff.  When their personal suckling places, at the government sow, are in danger of drying up, they will usually vote to keep their milk flowing. That's why it is so hard to elect true conservatives.

Here are a few examples.
  • For seventeen years, I managed a residential facility for the elderly. The average age of the residents was 86 years. As you might expect, most of them considered themselves to be conservatives. BUT, they get scared about losing their medicare benefits or Supplemental Security Income (which is a pure, unearned welfare handout) and so they usually supported government social programs.
  • I have some close acquaintances who are conservative public school teachers.  BUT, any time cuts in education expenses are an issue on the ballot, they vote liberal.
  • Public and union employees generally vote to retain their benefits and pensions.
  • Students will almost always vote to retain low tuitions or to forgive tuition debts.
It goes on and on.  Those who benefit from the big fat handouts of the nanny state will most likely vote to keep them.

I am a constitutional conservative.  I value freedom more than comfort.  I want the government out of my face and out of my personal life. I want to work for my own paycheck and I want to keep what I earn.  Furthermore, this country is in danger of economic collapse and everything in the budget needs to be trimmed back to a sustainable level.  Government spending is out of control and immoral.

I want a smaller, not larger government.  I want a government that upholds and protects our constitutional freedoms and rights.  I want a blind and fair justice system.  And I want a government that punishes criminals.  That's why I always vote conservative without regard for how it will affect my comfort.

And now I have been proven right.  This poll proves it.  So when the next election cycle is over and you wake up the next morning to find that the big-government liberals have won, you only have yourself to blame.






Ralph M. Petersen; Always Right, Sometimes Wrong
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4 comments:

Pumice said...

As a public school teacher I have repeatedly voted "no" on tax increases. I have voted to send money back to special interests that want us to spend it their way. To my knowledge I have never had a chance to vote on any pension plans.

I would say that I agree with your analysis even if I don't qualify as a conservative.

If you ever run for the school board let me know so I can vote for you.

I also enjoy the quotes you throw in on occasion. If possible could you give the location of the quote. I can use them because they are good, but I like to know the actual source so I can use it.

Grace and peace.

hymns that preach said...

Pumice,
Thanks for occasionally dropping by my blog.

I do respect your profession and I really do believe that there are true conservatives in public education. I have several people in my family who are in the education profession. My blog posts are generally sarcastic on purpose and this one, in which I claim to be the only conservative I know, is an example of the use of superlative stereotyping in order to make the point. I hope you don't take personal offense at that but I suspect that you already know the truth of the point I was trying to make.

About the quotes I post - I usually cite the sources when I know them. If you see something in particular that is not credited in a post, feel free to ask in a comment an I will try to provide source information for you.

Chris Cole said...

Hi, Ralph, I am a Libertarian rather than a conservative. However, I have often observed the same failing, such as in my area Congresscritter. No matter their rhetoric, most conservatives are fine with big government, as long as it doing what THEY want. In 2000, Harry Browne, the Libertarian candidate for president, based his campaign on the elimination of the income tax. He asked people, "Would you give up your favorite government program if it meant that you and your children would never have to pay income taxes again?" When I asked people the same question, they usually looked at me like I was a four-legged Martian. As you say, they talk about cutting off the flow from the government udder, as long as it isn't THEIR udder!

Pumice said...

Ralph,

The person who said that sarcasm is the lowest form of humor didn't have a sense of humor.

Don't every worry about my feelings. One of the qualities of (people who think they are)conservatives is they can laugh at themselves. I plan to stay in the kitchen. I can't make chili without some heat.

Have a blessed day.

Grace and peace.