Source:Chad Reiser- U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater (Republica, Arizona) accepting the 1964 Republican Party nomination for President, at the San Francisco Cow Palace. |
From Chad Reiser
There are a lot of so-called Conservatives today who claim to be Constitutional Conservatives, but actually don’t know what they are talking about. Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin come to mind, who as much as they speak in favor of the U.S. Constitution, generally are only referring to three amendments: the 1st Amendment when it comes to political speech (for right-wingers) and Freedom of Religion, (for Christians) the 2nd Amendment that protects individuals right to bare arms, and the 10th Amendment that limits what the Federal Government can do.
But generally speaking these so-called Conservatives know as much about the U.S. Constitution as the average mechanic knows about astrophysics. Constitutional conservatism is not about protecting parts of the U.S. Constitution and eliminating other parts.
Constitutional conservatism is about protecting constitutional rights or conserving them for individuals. Not telling individuals through government how to live their own lives. And constitutional conservatism is more than just about economic freedom and low taxes. But its also about self-governance for individuals. The power for them to live their own lives as they see fit, adults that is. As long as they’re not hurting anyone else with their freedom. But it's not about limiting freedom for individuals, and writing constitutional amendments that would do that if passed.
Like the latest constitutional amendment that would make it illegal in America for homosexuals to marry each other. Or a constitutional amendment that would eliminate the 17th Amendment that allows the people to vote for their Members of Congress. Instead having state legislatures doing that.
Constitutional conservatism is about protecting constitutional rights or conserving them for individuals. Not telling individuals through government how to live their own lives. And constitutional conservatism is more than just about economic freedom and low taxes. But its also about self-governance for individuals. The power for them to live their own lives as they see fit, adults that is. As long as they’re not hurting anyone else with their freedom. But it's not about limiting freedom for individuals, and writing constitutional amendments that would do that if passed.
Like the latest constitutional amendment that would make it illegal in America for homosexuals to marry each other. Or a constitutional amendment that would eliminate the 17th Amendment that allows the people to vote for their Members of Congress. Instead having state legislatures doing that.
Or the so-called Human Life Amendment, that would make abortion illegal in America. Limiting women’s freedom in their own health care.
But instead constitutional conservatism is about protecting and preserving freedom not limiting it. What happened to the Barry Goldwater Conservative-Libertarians that used to run the Republican Party, that know that conservatism is about protecting constitutional rights for individuals, not limiting freedom or telling people how to live their own lives, that were anti all forms of big government, not just the socialist version) It’s a different Republican Party today and no longer the Grand Ole Party.
You can also see this post at The Daily Post, on WordPress. (No pun intended)