Anyone who has ever attended a weekend-long Fraternity Party has likely had this experience. You drink…not because you like what you’re drinking, but as part of a party game or simply to get trashed…and you Drink…because everyone is drinking and the music is loud…and you DRINK…even though you’re already drunk and can barely stand…and you DRINK…even though your gut is swirling, your head is spinning and your liver is screaming “STOP!!!!!”
Wind turbines, hydroelectric power, solar energy: we truly live in a wondrous age, where miracles of technology make our lives simpler, cleaner and greener. With PROGRESS like this, you could wager that we can be out from under the oppressive thumb of “Big Oil” and “Dirty Coal” in…wait a minute! This just in: All of the INNOVATIONS that I’ve just described have been around for decades, and, in some ways, for CENTURIES?!!!! How can that be?
The strength of any family is founded in the lessons taught by its Parents. What a child learns at a young age is carried with them until they are adults, and then they pass that knowledge on to their children as well. But the most important lessons are not about math, science or history. The most important lessons are those taught in the realm of philosophy, and faith, and honor. These aren’t lessons that can or should be limited to the teachers in a school, but should be emphasized by those role models who should have the greatest influence on a child’s life: their PARENTS.
About a month ago, I published the Five-Part Series on the Principles of Conservatism, an overview of exactly WHAT makes a person a Conservative, but what are the alternatives? If being a Conservative is a Lifestyle Choice, as I contend that it is, what makes it different from being, say, a Progressive? That’s a great question, and one I’m going to try to answer today.
After 57 Days, the President has taken the time to address the Nation regarding the Gulf Oil Spill. It’s not like we haven’t heard the President’s point of view. In fact, there hasn’t been much talk about much of anything else, but this is the first time that he’s addressed the nation, not a group of supporters. And, sitting behind the Presidential Desk in the Oval Office of the White House, Barack Obama has outlined his plan: pointing the FINGER OF BLAME.
The White House has announced that Tuesday, June 15, President Obama will be addressing the Nation regarding the Gulf Oil Spill. My sarcastic response to this announcement is, “Gee, really? Another speech?” But my Honest Reaction is a bit more serious.
I recently posted some Conservative Advice for Politicians claiming to be Conservatives, boiling down to, essentially, “Don’t quote Teddy Roosevelt!” It occurred to me that we need examples to emulate: Conservatives worth having as a Hero from History that basically exemplify their beliefs. The simplest and most recent choice for most of us is Ronald Reagan, but by studying Reagan, we can learn about who HE emulated, the Conservative figure from history that inspired HIM. For Reagan, one source of that inspiration was Calvin Coolidge.
