PRINCIPLE #1: PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY by T. Edwin Perry
Some people think that my posts are about Politics. I’m just “Anti-Obama” or “Pro-Bush,” and anything that this administration could do is immediately dismissed as bad, no matter the outcome or intent. But nothing could be FURTHER from the TRUTH. My opinions and positions are not about POLITICS, but PHILOSOPHY, and the Philosophy that I espouse OUT LOUD and WITHOUT SHAME is CONSERVATISM!
That’s right, folks: I’m an “Evil” Conservative. That means that I’m in favor of protecting the CONSTITUTION of this Nation, and working to ensure the Freedoms and Liberties that this document affords us as CITIZENS are protected for Future Generations! I believe that our Nation and its People are FUNDAMENTALLY good, and want to keep it that way. And because I want to CONSERVE those Freedoms and Liberties, I am, in fact, a CONSERVATIVE!
But what is a Conservative, really? We hear people talk about Conservative Values and Conservative Principals all the time, but have you ever considered what that actually entailed? I have, and I’ve narrowed Conservatism down to FIVE distinct Principals, all of which are irrevocably connected, a fabric of strength and stability upon which the United States was built. Over the next five posts, I’ll be going over each one in some detail.
The First Principle of Conservatism is PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Sounds simple, right? Take responsibility for yourself and your family. Provide for your OWN needs. Do the hard work FOR YOURSELF rather than counting on someone else to do it for you. While that might seem like a reasonable definition, it is clearly incomplete.
Personal Responsibility also means taking care of your neighbors, being charitable to those around you, and doing the Hard Work for others who are unable to do it for themselves. Being charitable means giving your spare time and/or your disposable income towards helping those who cannot help themselves, but not those who WILL NOT help themselves. There is a significant difference between being Charitable and providing a Subsidy for another person’s shortcomings. If someone chooses not to work, then they choose to go hungry. If someone is UNABLE to find work, which is a totally different thing, then it is incumbent upon those of us who HAVE work to help to provide for their basic needs. Our Founders did not refer to WELFARE as a CHARITY because Welfare referred to the economy and interstate relations, not financial subsidy for individuals. By taking Personal Responsibility, an individual can decide how and where their charitable donations will be best applied. This ensures that the proper OVERSIGHT is given for both YOUR MONEY and YOUR TIME used to help others, allowing YOU to take Personal Responsibility for its use. Social Welfare Programs overseen by the Government RESTRICT your ability to take that Personal Responsibility, and IS NOT, by definition, CHARITY.
Personal Responsibility ALSO means taking the time to remain informed about the things going on in your Community, in your State, and in your Nation. Our Founders designed a System of Government that relied upon the Informed Consent of its Citizens. The Power and Authority of the State and Federal Governments required the REPRESENATATION of the Citizens by its elected officials. Unfortunately, the ambitions of Polititians have caused this system to devolve into a “One Party vs. the Other Party” battle rather than a Honest Debate in the Arena of Ideas. Add in the influence of Special Interest Groups, which affect the decisions and actions of BOTH SIDES of this equation, and you have the recipe for a burdensome morass, each Party paying back favors as it takes office at the cost of its Citizens. By taking the Personal Responsibility to insist that your Representatives serve YOUR interests as a Citizen, and not that of a Special Interest Group, you protect your own Freedoms and Liberties in the long term. It isn’t convenient, but it is CONSERVATIVE!
Finally, Personal Responsibility requires that you conduct yourself honestly. Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet through the character of Pelonius, “This above all: To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.” Simply put, if you are honest with yourself, then you will be honest with others.
Being Personally Responsible is not easy. It isn’t convenient. It isn’t always fun, but it is always RIGHT, no matter the outcome. And, perhaps most importantly, there is nothing worth being CONSERVATIVE about without it.
Next time, we’ll go over Principle #2: SMALLER GOVERNMENT!
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