Glenn Beck

My first political blog... Hopefully, it will not drive anybody away over boredom. Or anybody away out of offense... I'll try to make each political blog I write have an obvious title so that you can skip over it if you're not interested. Of course, in making that statement, I'm assuming that you're interested in the other stuff I blog about!
Glenn Beck, for those of you who don't know, is a conservative "Talking Head" on the CNN channel. He also occasionally rights commentary pieces for CNN's website. I happened to find this one the other day. It's entitled "Obama no, McCain maybe". What I like about the article is his definition of what a true conservative is, as compared to what a Republican is. I'm a Republican, but consider myself a conservative first. By this, I mean that I identify myself as a Republican, but if the party is to differ from my political views in a particular issue, I will not blindly follow the party, but will make my own decision. I should make it clear that I will be voting for McCain in November. I'm not posting this to dissuade anybody from their choice, only in hopes that you will read Beck's definition of what a true conservative believes. Some excerpts:

• A conservative believes that our inalienable rights do not include housing, healthcare or Hummers.
• A conservative believes that our inalienable rights DO include the pursuit of happiness. That means it is guaranteed to no one.
• A conservative believes that those who pursue happiness and find it have a right to not be penalized for that success.
• A conservative believes in personal responsibility and accepts the consequences for his or her words and actions.
• A conservative believes that real compassion can't be found in any government program.
• A conservative believes that each of us has a duty to take care of our neighbors. It was private individuals, companies and congregations that sent water, blankets and supplies to New Orleans far before the government ever set foot there.
• A conservative believes that family is the cornerstone of our society and that people have a right to manage their family any way they see fit, so long as it's not criminal. We are far more attuned to our family's needs than some faceless, soulless government program.
• A conservative believes that people have a right to worship the God of their understanding. We also believe that people do not have the right to jam their version of God (or no God) down anybody else's throat.
• A conservative believes that people go to the movies to be entertained and to church to be preached to, not the other way around.
• A conservative believes that debt creates unhealthy relationships. Everyone, from the government on down, should live within their means and strive for financial independence.
• A conservative believes that a child's education is the responsibility of the parents, not the government.
• A conservative believes that every human being has a right to life, from conception to death.
• A conservative believes in the smallest government you can get without anarchy. We know our history: The larger a government gets, the harder it will fall.

If you want some comedy, read the comments that are attached to his article... One responder said, "Thanks for reminding me of the reasons I'm not a conservative." My logic leads me to the same beliefs that Beck outlines...

On a side note, when we were in Boulder, waiting for BNL to perform, I was in the bargain books section of the store, and happened to pick up a book about "conservatism" (as defined by a left-wing liberal, so you know it's accurate **sarcasm alert**). His main point was that to be a conservative means to resist ALL change. That is a very narrow view of the matter, and justifies a narrow definition of a liberal, which is (in my view), "A Liberal loves change for change's sake. If something is working, don't worry, they'll "fix" it."