They don't understand us and don't want to try to understand us. They just can't seem to comprehend that more Americans are like us than them. They think that every American should think as they think, and if they don't, they believe that there is something wrong with their moral make up. After all, many liberals believe, they have the moral high ground.
My purpose today is to debunk every belief liberals have about conservatives, one belief at a time. While I know that my feelings certainly aren't representative of every conservative, I happen to think that I'm pretty much a middle-of-the-road conservative American in terms of my views. Let's take a look at what liberals believe and what the reality is:
They believe we are all rich
No, we're not all affluent, but I happen to believe that the vast majority of us aspire to succeed. Like most conservatives, I certainly wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, as neither one of my parents graduated from high school. We are teachers, truck drivers, business owners, professionals and laborers. We are pastors, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, college students and retired people. What connects us is that we believe that anyone can succeed in America if we work harder and work smarter.
They believe we hate poor people
No, we don't hate poor people, but we believe that most government programs create dependency, not pathways to success. Sure, there should be programs to support those who can't support themselves and those facing an emergency situation, but we also believe that that government programs should be designed to move the vast majority of people to self-sufficiency, not to a lifetime of support from the government and taxpayers. We also believe that local charities do a better job of determining who truly needs help, and we generously support those local charities.
They believe we want dirty air and dirty water
The truth is that we believe in protecting the environment. We are concerned about the quality of our air and water, but we also believe that environmental regulations based on ideology that attempt to "crucify" entire industries are flat out wrong. Yes, we want government to encourage clean energy through research grants, but we believe that the marketplace, not the federal government, can best determine when new technologies are economically feasible. We believe that we should do everything possible to take advantage of our abundant domestic energy resources -- coal, oil and natural gas -- using the most environmentally-friendly methods to extract those resources. We want low-cost energy so that we can remain competitive in the global marketplace and our standard of living does not decline because of rising energy costs taking more of our paychecks.
They believe many of us are Bible-thumpers who "cling to their guns"
Yes, many of us go to church every Sunday, and the vast majority of us believe strongly in the Second Amendment. We happen to believe that there's nothing wrong with either. America was and still is a Christian nation, and we're proud of that heritage, although we don't believe in discrminating against those who believe differently. The "Separation Between Church and State" outlined in the First Amendment was designed to keep the government out of the church, not the other way around.
They believe we want to hold down the poor and the middle class
Nothing could be further from the truth. We believe that any American can increase his or her income through hard work and innovation. We believe that the best way to help Americans move up in class is for our country to have a strong economy that provides all Americans with good-paying jobs and the opportunity to save. We want the government to encourage more entrepreneurs, not discourage them through burdensome and ridiculous government regulations. Nothing proves the genius of our American system more than when someone of limited means becomes very successful. It happens every day, and it makes conservatives very happy.
They believe that we don't pay our "fair share" in taxes
We're getting tired of this "class warfare" argument, because the facts show that the more you earn in America, the more you pay in taxes. Nearly half of all Americans pay no income taxes whatsoever, while the top earners pay a disproportionate percentage of income taxes compared to their incomes. Sure, there are corporations and high-income Americans who pay little or no taxes, but they are the exceptions, not the rule. We believe in closing the loopoles so that those rare exceptions can be eliminated, but we also believe that the Capital Gains Tax should continue to be low in order to encourage investments to help America grow.
They believe we want to eliminate all entitlement programs
No, Representative Paul Ryan does not want to push grandma over a cliff. We simply look at the numbers and realize that if entitlement programs continue at their current pace, there will not be Social Security, Medicare or Medicare for future generations of Americans. We believe that ignoring the impending collapse of these programs caused by rising costs and our skyrocketing debt is irresponsible and not being truthful with the American people. We would rather address these challenges now, than wait until significant changes are necessary to keep these programs solvent.
They believe we hate gay people and African-Americans
This is probably the liberal belief that angers me the most. No, we don't hate gay people, and no, we don't hate black people. Although some conservatives may be against gay marriage because of religious reasons, a lot of us believe that this issue is a states' right issue and not an issue the federal government should decide. I happen to have a number of gay friends, a number of black friends, and I also have worked tirelessly throughout my career to fight discrimination against people of color. I am most proud of my work developing programs that helped African-American students in the rural south have opportunities to continue and expand their education. We happen to believe that the Democratic Party has made many African-Americans dependent on government programs, instead of helping them to succeed. We believe that every American, irregardless of sexual orientation or skin color, should have an equal opportunity to succeed.
They believe we hate government
This one belief comes closest to being the truth. We believe in limited government because government has never done anything really well, except for national defense. We believe that government is often the problem, not the solution. We also believe that government should streamline regulations so that more people can start businesses, more Americans can become wealthy and more businesses can thrive. No, we don't "hate" government, but we don't like it much.
I hope that I've been able to debunk most of the beliefs held by the majority of liberals. Even if one liberal reads this blog, looks at conservatives in a different light and considers voting for Mitt Romney, then I have succeeded.
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