A conservative populist

(Note to readers: The original ver- sion of this column appeared in January 2010. It still describes why I’ve come to believe the things I do, but leaves me wondering about the condition of society overall.)

My views of this life, our society, and reality itself have dramatically changed as this shock of hair has grayed. You’d have labeled me a flaming liberal in the first half of my career, a stereotypical journalist intent on championing the impoverished and underprivileged who lacked a voice. In essence, I was a passionate believer in the journalist’s mandate to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. I did things like spend nights in a $3-a-night hotel where lonely old men in Hot Springs went to die. I wrote about indigent mothers in labor turned away from the local hospital, the plight of a man whose home was a hollow log, and another who’d lived 20 years at the city dump. The suffering and need were everywhere I looked during my 20s and 30s. Such “cause-ism” was rewarded by recognition from peers who also cheered idealistic social causes. And, hey, what restless young journalist doesn’t feel motivated when he’s spurred on by his peers? Slowly my eyes were opened to the deeper truths behind many of these stories. As my 40s became 50s, it became obvious that most adults in a free society brimming with possibilities for assistance at every turn very often create the reality they desire. I realized that the men in that roach-infested hotel were there because they preferred to die alone in that place for whatever their reasons. That didn’t necessarily mean they were suffering or any less content than a Ph.D. living in a mansion on the lake with someone he despised. I saw all the government programs, grants and churches freely offering help to those who wanted an education or a better life. It was true that teaching a hungry man to fish rather than simply handing him a crappie was a far better plan and key to building self-esteem. Therein lay the seed of my conversion to what I saw as a more realistic view of life. I began to deeply appreciate the liberties guaranteed each of us and what that meant when it came to achieving the highest expectations one’s motivations will enable. In other words, I saw that the answer to pursuing happiness lay in the opportunity for every person to achieve his goals, rather than me trying to make myself feel better by trying to save many of them from their poor choices. That didn’t mean there weren’t legitimate needs and lots of suffering, but a change in anyone’s attitude about himself must come from within before change in his behavior can occur. Journalists could write thousands of words about a poor person’s plight, but that would invoke widespread sympathy yet change little about his life if the subject refused to change his own circumstances. Granted, innocent children at risk, mentally ill, the infirm and elderly all too often can’t change their physical circumstances. They are exceptions. Today, you’d probably call me a conservative populist by choice. That seems to fit anyway. Studies show that conservatives historically give considerably more to charity than do liberal “progressives.” Conservatives believe that a minimal government should assist free enterprise and private business while prompting all freedoms to flourish. They believe that people should be allowed to grow as individuals and take responsibility for their actions, and that government should focus on steadfastly defending our nation’s security and sovereignty. I’ve grown to share such beliefs with scores of millions today because for me they represent critical qualities that lie at the very heart of our nation’s existence. Our nation was, after all, founded in freedom after overthrowing a government’s tyranny. It’s equally true that we should take responsibility for our own actions. All I’ve ever wanted was the opportunity to achieve a sense of my own purpose in life and watch others do likewise. You may have heard it said that a conservative as a youth has no heart, but a liberal as an adult has no brain. That’s too harsh. But it’s difficult for me to imagine any adult who truly appreciates what our founders created and handed to us not believing in common-sense conservative qualities. Perhaps the best thing about being a conservative populist is the ability to freely say that while I might not agree with your opinion, I’ll fight to the death to preserve your right to voice it—and mean it.