I Am My Brother’s Keeper

Does America remember where we came from? Within this Liberty movement we can all see the American Dream being restored. But wanting Liberty for economic prosperity is easy because it is in the first order of selfish desires. Simply wanting Freedom from DC’s moral dictation is like a cow groaning at a prod(though it may be in-line to the slaughter). If only life would ever leave us alone. These are selfish first order reactions. I am not down playing the significance of these immoralities. I am pointing out that Americans have reacted within the easy logic and easy effort of the first order.

Are we Joe Christians, Joe Americans? Are we cowed and simply the ordinary offspring of that exceptional blip in history?

When Alexis Tocqueville came to America he was amazed. American society was different because it had what he called self-interest properly understood. American citizens didn’t fall into the easy trap of democracies and cut themselves off from society. If you are anti-social because of others’ beliefs or the consequences of others’ selfish actions, you need to remedy that. You need to strengthen your convictions, thicken your hide, and lead. You cannot lead in your community, let alone your family if you do not associate with it or it does not associate with you. Think, take your interests to the next level and act.

If you are not taking action where God and Country calls all of us, some will assume government must forcefully fill that void.

This is why it is self-interest properly understood. The “Liberal” reaction is logical. We all care for our neighbors, those less fortunate than us, for our community, etc. Yet we deride our own identity by casting the “Liberals” as do-gooders. We are the do-gooders! We say they respond to every little moral imperative, as if it were a bad thing. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s an American thing. But we know it’s not a government thing. We also know it’s not a selfless thing.

We need to remember tax isn’t bad just because some semi-arbitrary coalition passed a law forcibly taking your income to spend ineffectively. That’s the first order selfish reaction. If it were a fact people were not going to help their neighbors I might vote for an ineffective anti-productivity theft of property.

The truth is when you are not voluntarily giving – it has less meaning. It takes the soul, spirit, and all intrinsic value out of the act. The act means less as money, time, hard-work is leaving your hand. It means less entering the hand of someone less fortunate. God and Country say you should give. American tradition calls us to be “givers”. If that is not enough know it is in your proper interest to support your community.

In our urban areas so full of social and economic decay we point at Democrats and say “look what they did”. We’re not wrong. But again that’s the easy first order reaction. What did we do? I am blessed. I am not a miracle worker. If I grew up in urban Detroit or Chicago I would be doing my very best, and you bet I’d be crying out for help like our urban areas have been for so – so long. Yet, when Obama and Democrats send in their organizers to take political advantage we call the voters selfish and lazy? Where are we? Aren’t empty promises better than someone saying, “you do it on your own”?

Obama called Conservatives “social darwinists” and so many people went along with it. So, we’re going to let him define Conservatives? Great idea. The missing link in Conservatism and Libertarianism is the compassion and we just let him pluck it out of our identity. Most of it may be a public perception problem. Maybe this situation has everything to do with inflation, the parties, unions, lobbyists, professional politicians, public education etc.

Do our kind of Americans make excuses of their situation or act? We need to finish rebuilding the American Dream. We need to remember what compassion means to Conservatives. We cannot continue to be disassociated individuals. If the pope can wash feet, so can our politicians:) If Jesus can wash feet, so can we. God, Country, and Exceptionalism call us to be shepards and leaders. We must oust these community organizers and replace them with compassionate principled shepards. We must not take the easy selfish first order way. We must plan and strengthen our convictions. We will earn trust the Right way.

I Am My Brother’s Keeper. Not the government. 2014