You Decide 2008

Hey Friends and Family. This is Will's inaugural post. Typically I read a book every week or two but I have been stuck on one for a month now. The reasons are three fold. One, Christmas Break. I have a hard time reading when other people are around because I am tempted to chat instead. And as we spent Christmas break in Colorado I had a more than sufficient pool of chatters to chat with. Second, my book is a little boring. Third, I am sucker for presidential primary coverage. I don't normally watch a lot of tv with the exception of sporting events, but Julie and I both have been rather into this election. Part of the reason we are so into it is because we have a candidate we strongly support. We support him for many reasons, most having to do with his politics and some not.

One large reason that is unrelated to politics is that we share our faith with a candidate, Mitt Romney. On occasion, ignorance prevails and Mormons are derided, scolded, and even persecuted. I myself have been a victim to this senselessness. I've been told I am going to hell for my beliefs too many times to count, I've been mercilessly teased by those who know little of my beliefs, and one time someone even threw a brick through my windshield after insulting my beliefs. And so even if I did not agree with Mitt Romney I would be excited to see him achieving success and excited for others to be exposed to my beliefs and gain more understanding and respect for them.

Now for the next reason. I am a conservative. C.S. Lewis once pointed out that words are only useful if their meaning is known. I can't explain his anecdote well in my own words but suggest everyone read it. You can check it out at this web site: http://glenn.typepad.com/news/2003/08/cs_lewis_on_the.html. The point is, I believe the word conservative is no longer useful to describe someone's belief because it is used in so many different ways. To be helpful I want to define the beliefs of a conservative and in doing so highlight why I am supporting Mitt Romney for president.

I believe a conservative has traditional values. These include believing that the family is the fundamental unit of society and that the key to a strong nation is building strong families. Another traditional belief is the sanctity of life. Life is sacred and no man or woman has the power to end life, even in the womb. A conservative should also believe in fidelity. When they make commitments to their families they should honor them by being chaste in the body and in the mind. A fourth belief is that marriage between a man and woman is ordained of God. Likewise marriage in any other way is not marriage and is not ordained of God.

Beyond values, conservatives support the Constitution and specifically The Bill of Rights. This includes the freedoms of speech, right to bear arms, a fair trial, and the empowerment of states rights. When we see others try to take these rights we stand up in defense of those freedoms. We will not let others destroy our country by removing the inspired principles that have made us successful for so long. I would also like to highlight the tenth amendment as a key to conservative politics.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. To clarify, any power or authority not specifically mentioned in the Constitution as the responsibility of the federal government is outside of their responsibility, and it is unlawful for them to interfere. Those powers are solely the rights of the states. The constitution names these specific rights: provide for common defense(military), regulate commerce, build roads, borrow money, control immigration, regulate money, establish post offices, approve patents and copyrights, declare war, make treaties, establish court system, and to make laws enabling these powers to be carried out. Every other power the federal government assumes is outside of its power. I believe in the Constitution and believe that God inspired its writers to give the states rights because the states are more able to govern themselves. A conservative believes in the Constitution and because of that, believes in a small federal government. A small federal government does not require near the funding that our government currently requires so we could drastically reduce taxes. That is one reason a conservative supports reduced taxes. The other is that he believes individuals can be more productive with their own money and have the right to be. The government if managed as intended would be one tenth or even one twentieth its current size. I also believe a strong military is fundamental to the safety and success of our nation. This is one responsibility that is repeatedly given to the government in the Constitution because our forefathers knew of its importance. A strong economy enables the American family to create a lifestyle. We are given the right to the pursuit of happiness and for many that is attributed to, or at least in part to a vibrant economic system.

I've spent a lot of time talking what I thinks makes conservative. To sum it up I affirm that a conservative must have strong moral values, uphold The Bill of Rights, limit the federal government, reduce taxes, maintain a strong military, and allow the economy to be strong. I think these are the keys to success for our nation. I have not mentioned Mitt Romney frequently because I don't think it is all about Mitt or about any one person. I think it is about the issues that will help the greatest nation on Earth stay the greatest nation on Earth. However, I do think that Mitt Romney, more than any of the other candidates embraces these truths.

Why not to vote for Mitt? Many have called him a flip flopper. I look at it differently and maybe because of my bias. I remember the 2004 Presidential election when the term flip flopper was made popular because of John Kerry. No offense to him, but the reason people said that of him was because he would literally change on issues during the course of a debate, often in less than five minutes. Mitt Romney has never done that. Ten years ago he was not the ideal conservative candidate. Ten years ago I would not have voted for him. But I embrace change. Not change for no reason. But I embrace people who are open minded and willing to listen. People willing to reason and come to new conclusions about issues because they know that they don't know everything. I think the label of flip flopper is being incorrectly placed. I think the growth that Mitt Romney has shown during the course of his political career earns him a different label, that of being a dynamic leader who can recognize where he is wrong and make changes for the betterment of our country.