Conservative by Default

Having been born and raised in Montana I found myself parroting the very ideals I thought made my state great. I adored the conservative, evangelical, fiscally responsible and socially restrictive nature of conservatism for no other reason than that is what everyone else said was true. It wasn’t until I travelled and experienced the world that I began to form my own views, taking on the ideal that what business is it of anyone else what people do privately, and why is it that in the richest country in the world we can have billionaires and homeless people side-by-side? But I digress.

I had become as it were a conservative by default. I didn’t know what it meant to be conservative I just knew certain facts that people told me. Gay people are bad, businesses are right, science is a hoax at best and a bold-faced lie at worst, money does not belong to poor people, and life is only half sacred because criminals must be punished, certain ethnic and genders were less equal, and only some people should be treated fairly by law enforcement. Sum it up enough? It may seem exaggerated, but in todays landscape it seems even more true.

Today though I don’t believe any of those things. I have absolute faith in God yes, but I find no example in the Bible of Christ rejecting anyone, other than those who were affirmed by their own self-righteousness, like the Pharisees (a political group of the time trying to force their form of Judaism through interpreting the law). Christ lead by example, loving all, and demonstrating life. That does not mean that He went around condemning, cursing, or rejecting anyone; He went around loving. But again I digress.

The point is why are we conservative or liberal? The bulk of America is torn between the two parties based on priorities that are always shifting. Economic policy will be more important than security one year verses the other, but all the other policy issues get piled on by interest groups, or businesses, wealthy land owners, or extreme political movements. Why would Montana vote for a platform that no longer supports international trade, wants to sell off public lands, and does not want to conserve the beauty of the state? This means that in order to vote a priority we must “accept” the cumbersome views of zealots. It makes almost no sense. Why do we allow extremist groups to define political parties when the majority of Americans are merely interested in a functioning, common sense, moderate government that provides security and facilitates economic growth for the most Americans?

Take North Carolina for example. The governor last year pushed through a “Bathroom” bill. Meaning that you must use the facility related to your birth gender. A ludicrous idea on its face, because seriously how would you know to enforce it? Laws against predators already exist, so that had no bearing in this case, nor do I believe this law would stop such actions. The law was designed to hurt an entire demographic of people that live or visit the state, and nothing else. It was a worthless and simultaneously costly form of legislation.

As a result, the governor was voted out by the people, and immediately the party of power in the legislature worked to limit the capabilities of the incoming governor by restricting his checks and balance authority prior to his arrival. Why? So they could subvert the will of their citizens? Because of ideology that means nothing other than hate? It is obvious that North Carolina’s people didn’t agree with the old governor and replaced him, so the legislative body took matters into their own hands and gutted him contrary to the majority of her citizens.

This is our political system. Instead of negotiating, working on issues, solving problems, and being whole we quibble, bicker, fight, scream and yell that the other is wrong. It is solving nothing, and the rest of America watches disenfranchised by the whole ordeal. What will the two-party system look like in four years? I do not think it will resemble the past Republican or Democrat parties. I only hope there will be a place I can vote without always violating my conscience. I want to grow the economy, protect all life, protect religion, the right to bear arms, protect the environment, have the country insured medically, reform criminal justice, illegal drug laws and law enforcement, and ensure that those working are paid enough to live, while allowing anyone to live according to their own view of love, life, gender, happiness and freedom globally. Where’s my party?