By Matthew Wadler:
I am mad. Well, not really mad, more outraged, infuriated, livid, and feeling like the physical universe is going to simply rip itself apart. Why? Two reasons: first, I am angered beyond discussion by the way that conservatives are being portrayed on social media, the news, and just about every other source out there. Second, I am disgusted by the pacifist nature that the majority of conservatives seem to exemplify right now in our society.
In fact, I would liken conservatives to the Allies at the beginning of World War II when the Nazis were taking over Poland and the like. “Well, maybe if we just lie down and smile, they will realize that what they are doing is wrong and simply stop on their own.” What, in the name of all that we have ever held as holy and good, has happened to the party of Washington, Lincoln, and Reagan? I honestly believe I am angrier at those who believe themselves to be conservatives than I am at the socialist progressives. We used to be strong-willed. We used to stand up for our beliefs. Now, we capitulate and run scared whenever someone calls us a ****ism.
Stay seated, because my rant is not yet complete. I understand that I am loud and direct to the point of offensiveness. My wife would be the first to tell anyone that the best thing about working as a contributor for OpsLens is that there is no one for me to offend through my normal daily interactions. The military truly honed my alpha male tendencies to the point where, if asked my opinion, I will give it to you first and think about how I word it second. I believe in not shading the truth, and there are few people out in the world today who can really accept true and unfiltered directness. Given that I understand this, I am not looking for conservatives to take up my mantle of in-your-face dialogue. I just want them to defend their views and values.
Why are we so afraid of defending our beliefs? I don’t understand it. Please—and I am serious—someone explain it to me. Are we not on the right side of history time and time again? It was conservatism that fought for and freed the slaves. It was conservatism that amended the Constitution to ensure women had the right to vote. When and how did we allow this to be forgotten?
I believe it likely started with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal. This was the first large-scale progressive action inserted into the United States. Chief among these were the creation of Social Security and the welfare system. Prior to this point, Americans prided themselves on self-reliance and hard work. Taking a handout was considered an embarrassment and reflected poorly on men (at this time, women did minimal work outside of the home, and most single mothers relied on charity and state government assistance that was minimally budgeted). The New Deal and most other government social programs would become highly opposed by conservatives.
Then, in 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. This is one of the best examples of liberals using half-truths to adapt the past. President Johnson was well-known for his opposition to civil rights. In fact, at one point he said that they needed to be “ready to take up the Goddamned nigra bill again,” in reference to civil rights action. His signing of the Civil Rights Act was not one of courage or openness, it was one of capitulation to the flow of national support and political survival. Yet ask any member of the Democrat leadership about this action and it would appear that LBJ was a civil rights hero.
Let’s bring the conversation to modern days. I was speaking to someone on the left about this not long ago. I brought up the fact that the left has historically been on the wrong side of history and has constantly fought against the rights of the oppressed, especially blacks. He said to me, “That was 100 years ago. Conservatives are no longer for the minorities. The parties switched sides in the 1960s.” That, my friends, is what the left would want us to believe.
Let me bring two quotes to the debate from, in my estimation, one of the most astute men to ever be born. You may have heard of him (or not, considering how woefully uneducated most Americans are about our nation’s history), Benjamin Franklin. Franklin was a true Christian and a compassionate individual. He cared about the poor but did not believe in handouts. In fact, as one of our most influential founding fathers, he would have denounced government welfare with vehemence. “I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion about the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it.” He also stated, “In my youth, I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.”
The left has a financial interest in keeping minorities poor. If they can continue to convince the masses that the American Dream never existed and that, without government handouts, they would never amount to anything of substance, the left continues to ensure its voting base. I find this to be offensive in its racist overtones. They are literally telling minorities that they cannot achieve on their own. Then when you have a minority who has raised themselves out of poverty and dares to be conservative, the left attacks them for not only their values, but betraying their race.
This institutional racism can be seen at all levels of the Democratic party. Look at Sally Boynton Brown, executive director of Idaho’s Democratic party and hopeful DNC chairwoman, who said, “My job is to shut other white people down when they want to interrupt.” So, let me get this straight—minorities need a white woman to tell other white people to be quiet? Is she saying that minorities are so inept and incapable that they can’t do this on their own? How is this not sickening to everyone out there, whether or not you are a minority? How is it that conservatives are not enraged at this and not voicing their disgust?
I have a belief that might cause a bit of anger from the left. I believe that they are the same racist group they have been since their inception, they have just gotten better at concealing it. They are still attempting to continue with their slave ownership. These days, instead of owning minorities, they exert their control through ensuring dependence upon government welfare.
It is the racism of the left that keeps the inner cities crime havens. The murder rate in Chicago is an excellent example. Here is an interesting question—what would happen if the murder rate were to spike in a wealthy neighborhood or city? You better believe that there would be immediate and tangible changes. Yet for the poor, it is business as usual. As long as the inhabitants continue with their reliance on government assistance and their allegiance remains with the left, there is no reason to actually change the quality of their situation.
No one, poor or rich, ever improves their lives through handouts. Why is it that lottery winners end up broke and miserable? They didn’t earn what they received, and so they have no respect for it. This is why conservatives want to force the poor off of welfare. It is not out of some wanton desire to see them suffer.
Only hard, diligent work leads to a life full of satisfaction and fulfillment. Here is what conservatives need to tell those who question us about our beliefs: “Conservatism is the absolute in equality. We believe in the equality of opportunity. That is what the founders meant when they said all men were created equal. You get to decide your destiny. What you choose to do with your destiny is up to you. If you waste it or make poor decisions, then that is on you and no one else. We don’t care what race, religion, or nationality you are. Those things are simply three small pieces of what make the totality of the individual. The fact that they are the most obvious makes them the least important. We don’t care about your lifestyle or sexual orientation. Whether we agree with you or not, you are free to do what you want as long as it does not infringe on our rights. We do not believe, however, in special rights, as we do not believe in special classes. We are all equal. That equality allows us to disagree with each other, but at the same time be able to accept that we will not always agree. ”
Matthew Wadler is a Senior OpsLens Contributor and U.S. Army veteran. Matt served in the Army for 20 years as both enlisted and officer before retiring. His service includes time as Military Police, Field Artillery, Adjutant General, and Recruiting. His deployments include Somalia and two tours to Afghanistan. His formal education includes a master’s degree in HR Management. He is a strong supporter of the constitution and advocate for the military and veteran communities. Follow Matthew on Twitter @MatthewWadler.
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