Separation Between Liberalism and Conservatism

By Semperpapa

There is a very strong reason for me being Conservative and for my fighting for it: I care deeply for America and for the American people.

What America represents is the last bastion of freedom left in our world. The forces of tyranny are strong and world wide, many openly defying the innate desire people have to be free, while others are masquerading behind what they call democracy, but in effect not much difference within totalitarianism.

The difference is that when a regime takes freedom of action away from the people and places them into the hands of political figures, the result is, unequivocally, abuse of power.

Our Declaration of Independence declares openly that our freedom is given to man by the Creator, as opposed as by man, and the Founding Fathers were convinced that the yearning for liberty and self determination is part of the gift of life given to mankind by God.

Last century, Adolf Hitler elevated himself to the level of deity for the German people and was able to convince them that their sacrifice was needed for his personal enhancement.
Imperial Japan elevated the Emperor to the level of a God, to the point that until the day when Hiroito got on Japanese radio to tell his people the war against the United States was lost and it was time to surrender, his subjects had never heard his voice before.
For Nazi Germany, Japan and the Soviet Union, national guidance and allegiance was remitted to the state and its representatives.
For us Americans the strength of our country is not based on the strength of the government, the power of the President or of Congress, but on the very aspects of our society that our enemies hate the most: freedom and power of the people, given to the people by God. But the genius of the Founding Fathers is that even absence of faith was NOT to be detrimental to one's freedom and prosperity.

I felt this way as I was growing up in Italy and spending all my adult life in the United States only reinforced my beliefs. And reinforced my conservatism.
I believe in a country where liberty of action is at the basis of our very existence, even if sometime the freedom we enjoy is in contrast with my personal beliefs. Case in point is the Westboro Baptist Church and their disgusting protests at Military funerals. I hate what they do, and I deeply despise these miscreants for doing it, but preventing them from expressing their views would allow the government to be able to prevent me and any other American from speaking, should they not agree with my words.

Liberals, instead, believe that the fastest way to "happiness" is through the imposition of their ideology upon everyone else. The amusing part is that liberals are never happy, always geared to force the government to manipulate, infringe and control the people according to each desire.

One of the most excruciatingly painful example of my point is the 2nd Amendment right.
In general cases, we conservatives do not want every person in America to have a gun, as a matter of fact, I personally know many folks who I am happy do not own firearms.
Liberals, instead, they want ALL guns to be banned, totally disregarding the Constitution and my right to be armed.
Some liberals will tell you: "I am a gun owner and I don't want the 2nd Amendment repealed" and I mostly believe them, but the point remains that there are over 22,000 gun laws on the books in America and yet the Left screams for more at every possible turn.
Instead of demanding that the existing laws be applied rigorously, they stand on the side of criminals and want the government to institute even more legislation.

I do have a sense of comfort, though, when I think about the defeat of the Left political agenda and all its representatives: If conservatives win, everyone in America will benefit, they they like it or not; if liberals win, everyone in America will then be miserable, that they like it or not.
So the choice is simple: being as happy as one is willing to work for or being as miserable regardless of how hard you work.

And that's the real separation between liberalism and conservatism.

Just my thoughts!