1. Back in the 8th grade where I was saddled with 'he talk like a white boy' I wasn't ideological at all. But having gotten to know myself, I questioned lots of thing, such as whether it is the nanny state, or policies that make individuals responsible for their own destinies is the best way to unleash the dynamism of black and brown communities that have for so long numbered among the least of us.
2. For a time, the party of Lincoln lost its vision, and I wouldn't have been a conservative fifty years ago....but Liberals are no longer the champions of civil and human rights. Nope....today they fight to see that rights are allocated on a group basis. It is conservatives who have taken up the mantle of individual rights.
3. The following are the minimum rules for anyone who considers himself to be Right:
4. Liberty- We believe in the rule of law, the rights of people to determine their own fate. And we fight tyranny and oppression of all kinds.
5. Patriotism- The United States of America is our home, not only by accident of birth, but by choice as well. We take our duty to our home seriously. We hope to improve it by our work, and our values, and while we hope to leave it better than we found it, this does not connote fundamentally transforming it.
6. Family- Our families are the primary organization to which our lives are dedicated. We will fight for the proper upbringing of our children. We demand respect and consideration of our elders, and love and support our brothers and sisters.
7. Pride- We are Americans of all backgrounds and ethnicities, proud of our heritage, our forefathers and hope to represent their greatest hopes for us.
8. Industry- We work twice as hard and sometimes get half as far, but we work with dignity and we expect to be allowed to enjoy the rewards: and, yes, we did build that. We see creativity, dedication, and effort as the path to self-improvement.
9. Piety- We have abiding faith in God and the principles of righteousness. We strive to be true to transcendent values and take the long view of our purpose on earth. We intend to guard our own souls and souls of others from corruption, and tolerate all forms of religious expression and faith.
10. Pluralism- Our aspiration is for a tolerant and open society, and we welcome all people to enjoy its benefits and responsibilities.
a. Let's stipulate right away that one can be non-conservative, and endorse five or six of the rules.
11. Did you note the use of the word 'tolerant' in #10? It is of particular poignancy here, due to the anger with which the black left greets conservatives and conservatism. When conservatives refer to a difference of belief with the left, we say that they are wrong. But when the left refers to a difference with the right, the right is characterized as evil. If an opponent is wrong, debate and discussion is in order. But if the opponent is evil, well, then, he must be destroyed!
12. In #6, we state that we will fight for the proper upbringing of our children. Liberal black leadership would apparently rather see black children condemned to substandard public schools and substandard educations rather than break their allegiance with the teachers' unions!
Empower black parents with school choice.
13. Our sense of industry is the very opposite of welfare policy, which nurtures dependency and kills initiative. Yet, black liberalism sneered at welfare reform, and cried that work programs were unfair. Which philosophy has been proven successful?
a. "According to the U.S. government, welfare reform helped to move 4.7 million Americans from welfare dependency to self-sufficiency within three years of enactment. The overall federal welfare caseload declined by 54% between 1996 and 2004." Arthur Brooks: Obama and 'Earning Your Success' - WSJ.com
b. " On July 12, the [Obama] administration unilaterally weakened the federally mandated work requirements for welfare recipients. Since welfare reform was passed by Congress and signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1996, the states have been required to have at least half of adult welfare recipients in qualified "work activities"actual jobs, or participation in education or training programs. Now, however, Mr. Obama's Department of Health and Human Services has announced that the agency will issue waivers to the federal work requirement." Ibid.
It is a mistake to confuse the health of the progressive movement with the health of black America.
They are the inverse.
Joseph C. Phillips, "He Talk Like A White Boy."
2. For a time, the party of Lincoln lost its vision, and I wouldn't have been a conservative fifty years ago....but Liberals are no longer the champions of civil and human rights. Nope....today they fight to see that rights are allocated on a group basis. It is conservatives who have taken up the mantle of individual rights.
3. The following are the minimum rules for anyone who considers himself to be Right:
4. Liberty- We believe in the rule of law, the rights of people to determine their own fate. And we fight tyranny and oppression of all kinds.
5. Patriotism- The United States of America is our home, not only by accident of birth, but by choice as well. We take our duty to our home seriously. We hope to improve it by our work, and our values, and while we hope to leave it better than we found it, this does not connote fundamentally transforming it.
6. Family- Our families are the primary organization to which our lives are dedicated. We will fight for the proper upbringing of our children. We demand respect and consideration of our elders, and love and support our brothers and sisters.
7. Pride- We are Americans of all backgrounds and ethnicities, proud of our heritage, our forefathers and hope to represent their greatest hopes for us.
8. Industry- We work twice as hard and sometimes get half as far, but we work with dignity and we expect to be allowed to enjoy the rewards: and, yes, we did build that. We see creativity, dedication, and effort as the path to self-improvement.
9. Piety- We have abiding faith in God and the principles of righteousness. We strive to be true to transcendent values and take the long view of our purpose on earth. We intend to guard our own souls and souls of others from corruption, and tolerate all forms of religious expression and faith.
10. Pluralism- Our aspiration is for a tolerant and open society, and we welcome all people to enjoy its benefits and responsibilities.
a. Let's stipulate right away that one can be non-conservative, and endorse five or six of the rules.
11. Did you note the use of the word 'tolerant' in #10? It is of particular poignancy here, due to the anger with which the black left greets conservatives and conservatism. When conservatives refer to a difference of belief with the left, we say that they are wrong. But when the left refers to a difference with the right, the right is characterized as evil. If an opponent is wrong, debate and discussion is in order. But if the opponent is evil, well, then, he must be destroyed!
12. In #6, we state that we will fight for the proper upbringing of our children. Liberal black leadership would apparently rather see black children condemned to substandard public schools and substandard educations rather than break their allegiance with the teachers' unions!
Empower black parents with school choice.
13. Our sense of industry is the very opposite of welfare policy, which nurtures dependency and kills initiative. Yet, black liberalism sneered at welfare reform, and cried that work programs were unfair. Which philosophy has been proven successful?
a. "According to the U.S. government, welfare reform helped to move 4.7 million Americans from welfare dependency to self-sufficiency within three years of enactment. The overall federal welfare caseload declined by 54% between 1996 and 2004." Arthur Brooks: Obama and 'Earning Your Success' - WSJ.com
b. " On July 12, the [Obama] administration unilaterally weakened the federally mandated work requirements for welfare recipients. Since welfare reform was passed by Congress and signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1996, the states have been required to have at least half of adult welfare recipients in qualified "work activities"actual jobs, or participation in education or training programs. Now, however, Mr. Obama's Department of Health and Human Services has announced that the agency will issue waivers to the federal work requirement." Ibid.
It is a mistake to confuse the health of the progressive movement with the health of black America.
They are the inverse.
Joseph C. Phillips, "He Talk Like A White Boy."
