As a conservative, I believe . . .

I believe in ethics, and the responsibilities of strong leadership. I am not a Democrat, but that doesn’t mean that I am willing to let Republicans get away with murder. I expect high ethical and moral standards from the members of the party, let alone the government, and anyone who commits fraud, or cronism; who lies, who shows incompetence, arrogance, insolence, or ignorance, is going down, no matter which party they are members of. Nobody pulls that kind of bull on my watch.

I believe that the federal government’s job is to handle things a country alone can handle.. There are things the government should stay out of. And there are things the government MUST get involved in. Anything that involves more than one state must be monitored, regulated, and, if necessary, punished by the federal government. That includes FEMA, FDA, and all the other alphabet agencies. I also believe that outside of keeping people from beating on each other, the government and courts should stay out of people’s lives. If a man sin, that is between him and God, and he shall pay for it in time. If it doesn’t lower property values or keep people up at night, then people should be able to do it without the neighborhood watch getting involved.
At the same time, I know that these rights stop at the doorstep, and that those who insist on committing unsavory acts in public should be committed.

I believe in business. Anarchy is not business, nor is piracy. I will not call Ken Lay a businessman. He is a grifter, and anyone who supports him is no friend of mine, no matter what politics he claims to follow. The markets can operate without handouts, but not without regulators to keep the con artists and thieves at bay. Only a fool would try to do business in a thoroughly unregulated market – even the grifters would end up robbed.
I believe in fiscal responsibility. This doesn’t necessarily mean pinching pennies, but it does mean not spending what you don’t have unless you have an idea how to earn it.

I believe in conservation. Only a fool fails to care for his property. A conservative conserves. He keeps his cities in good repair and looks after the trash regularly. Like a boy scout, he leaves nothing but footprints and he doesn’t harm the wildlife, so that others can share what he has shared. The greedy and the pompous are prevented from ruining it for the rest of us.

I believe in civilization. Civilization is where people live and work together, as equals, in harmony. That means you treat people with respect, even if you don’t like them. It means no special treatment for any group, minority or majority. It means saying “I think you’re wrong” without 1-6 epithets mixed in.

I believe in truth. The saddest thing about the information age is the lack of information. They started by saying the moon shot was faked, and have gone on to disbelieve anything the cameras pick up that doesn’t fit their worldview.

I believe that our sense of duty should be equal to any sense of entitlement. This doesn’t mean blind obedience, or of universal enlistment. Is does mean picking up litter, voting in every election, keeping abreast of the news, and doing everything you can to keep your little part of the world sane, safe, and comfortable.

I believe in cooperation. The world is too close now, in every way. The lesson of 9/11 is that we can no longer ignore other cultures and nations. We cannot just disband the UN and sit behind our Minutemen. We have to play a part in this world. If we try to hide, the world will come and get us - in a 747, if necessary.

And finally, I believe in God. I believe that we were put on this world to test our moral fiber. I believe we are failing. From littering to the Seven Deadly Sins, we are breaking His rules without remorse. Worse, we are attaching our own prejudices to Him, crediting out most obnoxious words and deeds to His will.

This I believe – that we can do better, and that it is our duty as conservatives to make things better. It is our job to remind people of the greatness of the past, and to carefully consider the path of tomorrow.