From time to time, I have someone ask me to jump into the political pool and offer an opinion.  One question I received was, “What is a Conservative?”   Before I could offer a response, someone else asked, “What is a Liberal?”   Both are valid questions and may be virtually impossible to articulate in today’s economy.

Many political pundits insist that America is slightly to the right of center politically.  Is that correct?  Based on the election of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, I would have said, “No, this nation is left of center.”  That would indicate it is a lot left of center.    If I consider the elections of Donald Trump the first and second time, I would say, maybe they are right.  Let me give my explanation in brief:

Liberals:

It seems that liberals believe in government action or involvement to achieve equal opportunity and equality for all.   They believe that it is the duty and responsibility of the government to alleviate all social ills, protect the civil liberties, and provide for all the basic needs of every individual.  They believe that it is the role and responsibility of government to guarantee that no one is in need up to and including the redistribution of wealth.  They believe that government policies are the solution to economic and social problems.

Conservatives:

In my view, conservatives believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.   They believe in fiscal restraint and a balanced budget.  They believe that the role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals, dreams, and ambitions.  They believe that conservative policies and philosophies empower the individual to solve problems economically and socially.  They believe in the Constitution as written and that the Federal Government should never be intrusive into the lives of its citizens, and believe in the spirit and letter of the Constitution, including: 

We, the People of the United States, in Order to form a perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

LET ME LIST SOME SPECIFIC DIFFERENCES:

• For the most part, conservatives are Pro-life, believing in protecting the lives of the innocent unborn who cannot speak for or defend themselves. 

• Conservatives believe that each person has the opportunity, through hard work and enterprise, to climb the ladder of success and that no one should be given preference due to race, color, or creed. 

• Conservatives believe that the free market system, competitive capitalism, and private enterprise create the greatest opportunity for success and the highest standard of living that one can attain. 

In contrast, liberals believe in a system where the government regulates the economy, punishes big business, redistributes wealth, and thereby creates a level playing field. 

• Conservatives believe that oil, gas, and coal are all viable sources of energy and are abundant in the United States; therefore, exploration of these energy resources should not only be allowed but also encouraged. 

• Liberals believe that oil is a depleting resource and that alternative sources of energy must be explored, even at the expense of drilling for oil and gas or mining coal.  They believe that these should not only be regulated by the federal government but also controlled by it, in contrast to conservatives, who believe that private ownership produces more efficient and effective productivity and more competitive pricing of the product. 

• Conservatives believe that the 2^nd Amendment gives citizens the right to keep and bear arms, and individuals have the right to defend themselves, their families, and property.   They believe that there are too many gun control laws and that additional laws will not reduce crime, but enforcement of the existing laws would.  They believe that gun control laws do not prevent criminals from obtaining guns and that the more armed, law-abiding citizens possessing guns result in less crime. 

• Liberals, on the other hand, believe that the Constitution “does not” give citizens the right to keep and bear arms but only allows for the state to keep a militia or National Guard.   They believe that more gun control laws are needed and even support the idea of a total ban on gun ownership for private citizens.  It is their view that more guns equate to more crime, something that has been statistically proven false. 

• Conservatives believe that healthcare should come through a competitive free market system and that government-controlled and run healthcare will result in limited availability of healthcare, as well as denied care or diminished quality of care. 

• Liberals, on the other hand, believe in “free” or so-called “low-cost” government-controlled and run healthcare.   They believe that the government should provide healthcare coverage to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. 

• Conservatives believe in and respect the ownership and private property rights of citizens. They believe that eminent domain— the seizure of private property by the government, with compensation to the owner —is wrong in most cases.   They also believe that eminent domain should not be used for private development. 

• Liberals, on the other hand, believe that the government has the right to use eminent domain to accomplish any desired public end.

• Conservatives believe that the phrase “separation of church and state” is not in the Constitution.  The First Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”   This prevents the government from establishing a national church or denomination, but it does not prohibit the acknowledgment of God in schools or government. 

• Liberals, on the other hand, support the idea of the separation of church and state.  They believe that the Bill of Rights implies the same and that there should be no religious expression in any government facility or function, and that religion can never be involved in or connected to government or politics. 

• Conservatives believe in lower taxes and that lower taxes stimulate economic growth and development, thus producing more revenue and a more vibrant economy, whereby everyone benefits. 

• Liberals, in contrast, believe that higher taxes and a larger government are necessary to address inequity/injustice in society, and tax dollars are needed to facilitate this function.  They support increased federal government spending to provide for all entitlement programs. 

• Conservatives oppose long-term welfare and believe that opportunities should be provided to enable those in need to become self-reliant. 

• Liberals believe that long-term welfare is simply a safety net that provides for the poor and that welfare is necessary to bring about “fairness” and protect the poor when, in reality, it ultimately leads to virtual enslavement by the government and destines them to a life of dependency rather than one of self-reliance.

Those are just a few reasons that I consider myself a conservative.   So, my prayer is that God bless and protect you and that God deliver America!