Defining Conservative Values – Response to TikTok Video and Tweet

Hang on to your seats, friends, I’m fired up.

I watched this on TikTok and felt compelled to answer Sarah’s challenge on Twitter. Also, good question, Sarah. I think this topic needs to be fully analyzed and explained over and over and over again, if that is what it takes to finally educate people on what Conservatism is. Too many people out there have a vastly incorrect assumption about Conservatives and Conservative values. And that’s really no fault of their own, the media and social media, heck, even our government, has done an excellent job of turning the narrative on its ear and convincing people that the things they say Conservatives are for are actually what the far left stands for. The far left are masters at deflecting and emotive manipulation.

And let me clarify, I’m talking about the FAR LEFT. I don’t believe most Democrats feel this way. I feel like the Democrats have also been hi-jacked and are no longer truly represented because the FAR LEFT have become so loud and prominent in their bullying tactics, thanks largely to Facebook and Twitter, that the Democrat values have been swallowed whole.

And let’s be clear (that seems to be a buzz phrase right now) – I have no ill will against Sarah or this young man in the video. I don’t know either of them. I’m simply responding to this man’s perceptions and Sarah is simply asking a question. I know asking questions seems to be taboo right now but since when I have I ever conformed to group think?

Precisely.

But let’s break this down for those that are truly interested in learning the truth about Conservative and Conservative values.

First, watch the TikTok video and then let’s break it down:

Here are some Conservative principles:

• The federal government is instituted to protect the rights bestowed on individuals under natural law. It exists to preserve life, liberty and property — a mission that includes not only protecting the sanctity of life but defending freedom of speech, religion, the press and assembly, and the right of individuals to be treated equally and justly under the law, and to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
• The federal government’s powers should be limited to only those named in the U.S. Constitution and exercised solely to protect the rights of its citizens.
• Government functions best when it is closest and most accountable to the people and where power is shared between the federal government and the states.
• Individuals and families make the best decisions for themselves and their children about health, education, jobs and welfare.
• America’s economy and the prosperity of individual citizens are best served by a system built on free enterprise, economic freedom, private property rights and the rule of law. This system is best sustained by policies that promote general economic freedom and eliminate governmental preferences for special interests, including free trade, deregulation, and opposing government interventions in the economy that distort free markets and impair innovation.
• Tax policies should raise the minimum revenue necessary to fund only constitutionally appropriate functions of government.
• Regulations should be limited to those that produce a net benefit to the American people as a whole, weighing both financial and liberty costs.
• Judges should interpret and apply our laws and the Constitution based on their original meaning, not upon judges’ own personal and political predispositions.
• America must be a welcoming nation — one that promotes patriotic assimilation and is governed by laws that are fair, humane and enforced to protect its citizens.
• America is strongest when our policies protect our national interests, preserve our alliances of free peoples, vigorously counter threats to our security and interests, and advance prosperity through economic freedom at home and abroad. Source

Here is a picture that sums up our values. This picture is specific to Texas but it encompasses all Conservatives.

I hope breaking these down helps. Because ALL information helps one make better choices.

Now. Let’s break down this young man’s erroneous assumptions about Conservatism.

His assumptions are in italics:

Hate most of the people who live here

No we don’t. Everyone is welcome to legally come to America and live their lives as they see fit. Conservatives don’t care how people live their lives, we just don’t want government to come in and tell us how to live. Unlike far-left Democrats, Conservatives don’t care about the color of someone’s skin – we don’t see skin color, we are not obsessed by skin color. Human beings have the right to live their lives on their terms, not with caveats based on skin color. “Oh, you have black skin so you are not allowed to learn, think or live this way.” That’s ludicrous. Live your life – it’s YOUR life.

Hate the civil liberties afforded by the constitution.

Dude, you have no idea what you’re talking about, Conservatives are ALL about the Constitution. We are fighting to maintain the integrity of the constitution. We get upset when the other side tries to skew, and/or falsely interpret the Constitution for his/her own personal gain. The Constitution exists to afford ALL people, regardless of race, color or creed opportunities to succeed in America. The Constitution exists to level the playing field for ALL people. We LOVE the Constitution, we don’t hate it. We are fighting to uphold the integrity of the Constitution and unfortunately, we can feel it disintegrate between our fingers because there are so many powerful groups working very hard to dismantle and dilute it.

Hate the separation of church and state.

You have not actually read the Constitution, have you. The Constitution does not say anything about separating the church and the state – it’s about affording people the freedom to worship however they see fit and preventing the government from coming in to say you may not worship that way. The Constitution allows an individual to freely worship – the state does not and should not have a say in that aspect of your life.

“The text of the 1786 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom gives great insight into our nation’s First Amendment right. It reads: “… no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced … in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.”

In short, the act affirmed what we should recognize in every era: the right to practice any faith, or to have no faith, is a foundational freedom for all Americans. This right is also behind what Jefferson meant when he spoke of a “wall of separation” between the church and the state.” Source

Love the economy but hate the states that make up the largest part of it.

Again, false. We don’t HATE, like the liberals do. We may disagree on how left-leaning states conduct their business and we certainly don’t agree with policies that stifle people from living their best financial lives, but the states are individual entities that make up their own laws, they have chosen those restricting laws, now they have to live with the consequences. But hate the states for the decisions they make? Nope. We don’t hate them, we are disappointed in them because ultimately their bad economic decisions affect OUR economies, that’s the only reason we even talk about how poorly these states run, because the crap runs back downhill and we have to deal with the mess at the bottom. That’s the only reason we even care what happens to other states.

Hate the government, hate the people who are antigovernment.

Nope, wrong again. We don’t hate. (I’m going to sound like a broken record here pretty quickly). The government is necessary to establish laws, rules and regulations to maintain a stable and orderly country. What conservatives don’t like is when government starts overreaching and making up laws and regulations that start encroaching on the freedoms afforded us by the constitution. We are against BIG government. Government has a place and a purpose, but when they get so big and they are determining how much money, that I’ve earned and worked very hard for, to keep, that’s a problem. When people are forced to give up HALF their paychecks to give to the government for them to squander it away on ridiculous programs or blatantly wasteful spending, that is what angers conservatives. Again, we don’t HATE people who are antigovernment because conservatives are the antigovernment group you reference. We hate ourselves? That doesn’t make sense, now does it.

(Also – here’s a little experiment for you – next time you get your paycheck, list all of the taxes that were taken out of your check – don’t forget we also pay property taxes each year and of course the sales tax on each and every item you buy. Now look at that total – are you shocked? The government gets away with taking so much money away from us because they break it down and make it look small. But when you add it up? It’s unbelievable how much they take from us).

Hate the rich because they are part of the conspiracy to mess with your kids.

I’m not sure what this even means. Conservatives have no problem with rich people. Rich people provide countless jobs and give back to the communities through charitable contributions. They help contribute to entrepreneurs who come up with new and improved ideas to make our lives better. Rich people are an asset to America overall and it’s not a crime to want to be successful and make money. That security ultimately makes life easier and then puts successful people in a position to help others. If someone chooses not to take advantage of the opportunities that America offers, that’s on that individual, not on the opposing party or the all-powerful government. If you want to be successful, you have to work for it. It really is that simple.

Hate the poor because they’re lazy.

Again with the hate. Conservatives don’t HATE people, we’ll leave that to the left. The majority of the time, poor people are poor because of bad choices they have made throughout their lives. Or, an unfortunate event, out of their control has happened, they lost their job, their house burned down, or some other horrific event. But being poor doesn’t define you, it’s simply the situation you find yourself in at that point in time. Again, find ways to change your situation. Work a few jobs. Save money. Spend wisely. Take advantage of charities and government programs that exist FOR THE VERY REASON OF HELPING POOR PEOPLE and get yourself out of the situation. The only person who is going to change your situation is you. We’re here to help, but we’re not going to do it for you. Conservatives are a helping hand, not a hand out.

Hate this country’s natural beauty because it gets in the way of industry, you hate industry because it changes this country’s natural beauty.

We live in a beautiful country. Conservatives are all for maintaining our environment and we can certainly improve processes to protect our environment. Industries are a necessary component of this country, not only for goods and services but to employ people and to help them become individually successful. We also want to be energy independent so that we are not forced to bend over and grab our ankles from a foreign county that says we will grant you permission to use our energy sources but only if you do X, Y and Z. We don’t want to be blackmailed for the things we need in life. So we have come up with ways to tap into our beautiful country’s natural resources. We work to find a balance between taking what our Mother Earth has so graciously provided without damaging her. There is no all our way or nothing – that’s the difference between conservatives – we are more than willing to compromise and try and come to a solution that works for all. The far-left liberals are not interested in compromise – they want it their way or no way and when they don’t get their way, they start throwing hateful labels around, like white supremacy and racist.

Hate immigrants.

*sigh* For the love of God – PAY ATTENTION. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come to the United States and become a citizen. We are 100% in favor of LEGAL immigrants. LEGAL immigrants are welcome to get jobs, pay taxes and contribute to our society. Immigrants are part of what makes America such a diverse melting pot of gorgeousness. Conservatives are not, however, in favor of ILLEGAL immigrants. ILLEGAL immigrants come to America and steal jobs from Americans who need jobs. They do not pay taxes. They do not contribute to society (largely in way of paying taxes) and in essence, are largely allowed to live in America with little to no consequences. You are welcome to partake of America, but you must give back to America – the same as every other citizen of America. This is because America belongs to US. The people. Let me see if I can dumb this down a bit – this would be like staying up all night, baking cookies for a group of people who have worked tirelessly donating their time to some well-deserved organization and we just wanted to show our appreciation by baking them some delicious cookies. We went to bed at 4:00 AM, got back up at 6:00 AM to prepare these cookies to be taken to the people we baked them for, but alas, half of the cookies are gone – stolen by someone who didn’t deserve them because they didn’t do anything worthwhile to earn them. That’s what illegals do – they steal from resources, resources that many people worked very hard to build. It’s criminal and wrong.

Hate liberals because they are entitled.

We don’t hate liberals, we disagree with liberals. Hate and disagreeing are two vastly different things. Entitled means: having a right to certain benefits or privileges. Anyone, regardless of political affiliation who feels he/she has the right to something he/she didn’t earn or work for is wrong. You are not entitled to things simply because you breathe and have a heartbeat. You are entitled to keep the things you worked for. When people, again regardless of affiliation, start walking around with their noses in the air and their hands out and DEMAND something for nothing, it’s insulting to the millions and millions of people who sweat blood and tears to EARN everything they have worked for. That’s a turn off for everyone – or it should be. Entitlement equals selfishness and ain’t nobody got time for that attitude. Check yourself.

A lot of the “points” he makes from this point forward are redundant, see above.

He mentions unions. Conservatives don’t hate unions. Unions have a place and a function. They exist to make sure big companies don’t take advantage of them. Because too much power has a way of corrupting everyone, regardless of political affiliation, but if we’re being perfectly honest here, do we even need Unions nowadays. We have OSHA and the ACLU that are more than ready to swoop in and right any injustices. Conservatives biggest issues with Unions is that they tend to give large cash donations to Democrats to help them become re-elected and in turn, the Democrats will turn around and write laws favorable to the Unions. I would daresay, the people who are forced to give a portion of their hard-earned paychecks to Unions may not want or agree with the Unions giving their money to Democrats, but what choice do they have? None, that’s the point. Conservatives are all about choice – we don’t want to be made to feel like we have to do anything against our will – we want choices. Do not take our choices away from us. And to be fair, all Unions do not give the money solely to Democrats, but the point is, Unions are in a position of power to take the people’s choice away from them all under the guise, “we want to protect you and your rights.” This seems to be a common mantra nowadays – i.e. COVID.

We do, however, disagree with anyone, or anything that takes those hard-earned freedoms away. When we a group of people who lie, cheat and manipulate their agendas in order to get their way and blatantly shred the Constitution and purposefully misinterpret the very foundation of the Constitution and then wrap the lies in wool and pull it over people’s eyes are either too ignorant (meaning they have not been taught – this does not mean stupid), or too busy to really pay attention, that’s what gets Conservatives fired up. That, coupled with the blatant steps taken to SILENCE our opinions and SHUT DOWN any avenue available to us to even allow us to ask questions, that’s wrong and evil. No one, I don’t care who you are, which side of the aisle you stand on, what color your skin is, who you sleep with, does not have the right to take someone’s voice away from them. You may not agree with what that person says but they have a right to say it. And if you are in the camp of not even wanting to allow the other side a platform in order to voice his/her opinions, then I would daresay that perhaps you need to look at yourself and wonder, what am I so afraid of? If what you believe is right and justified, then why don’t you answer these questions, explain why you feel the way you do as opposed to running scared when being challenged?

To me, that speaks volumes and implies that you don’t know why you believe the way you do, you just believe that way because someone told you to believe that way. I would be insulted if I wasn’t able to express why I feel the way I do about issues. I would be worried that I didn’t have an answer to simple questions. I would wonder why I lose my temper when confronted and feel compelled to name call as opposed to having an adult conversation about important issues.

No sir, everything you have espoused in your TikTok video is exactly, and precisely, how the far Left feels. You are 100% wrong in your assessment and even if you disagree with me, do you have the courage to look further and prove me wrong?

Now it’s my turn. I’m going to ask the same question that Sarah did – what is Liberalism? What do you believe in? What are your core values? Are there websites out there that accurately explain what Liberalism is? What are the benefits of Liberalism? I’m genuinely curious. I have an idea of what it is and what it means to other people, but I’m always willing to learn more. For you see, I practice what I preach. I read about opposing views. I watch opposing videos. And then I digest what I’ve learned and compare it to my beliefs. And I’ll be honest, there are times I feel like whomever I’ve read or watched has a valid point and I agree with him/her. I’m not too proud, or so blinded by societal turmoil that I don’t recognize valid and important points.

Because you see, it’s called discourse. This is a necessary component of being a free thinker and a productive, successful individual as opposed to someone who simply spews vitriol and negativity. What exactly does that do? Nothing. It simply stirs up people’s anger and causes civil unrest.

Perhaps that’s the point? And if that’s the point, are you okay with being part of that destructive narrative?

Anyway, I hope this was educational for some of you. And if you didn’t read the whole post and/or this post left you angry, ask yourself, why? I’m simply laying out Conservative values and beliefs. Nothing more, nothing less.

It’s up to you what you do with that information.