The Journey

I am a conservative:

I believe our National Charter — the Declaration of Independence — was divinely inspired, that its governing principles are eternal and everlasting, that they lie at the very heart of American exceptionalism, and that we abandon them at our own peril.

I believe these governing principles — these truths — to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by God, our Eternal Father, with certain unalienable rights, that among those rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, including property, that governments are instituted among and with the consent of men and women for the express purpose of protecting those rights, that whenever any government becomes destructive of that purpose it is the right and duty of the people to alter or abolish said government, and that Article V of the United States Constitution provides through state legislatures the means whereby that may be accomplished.

I believe our Constitution to be divinely inspired, written by men raised up for that very purpose, that it sets forth those institutions best suited for the preservation of our God-given rights, and that we will be held accountable — by God and our posterity — for our acts in relation to them.

I believe our best and last hope for preserving that which God hath bestowed lies in honoring the precepts and principles affirmed in our Declaration and given form in our Constitution — and doing so in a manner which is consistent and in harmony with the understanding and intentions of those inspired men who penned these singular documents.

I am a conservative:

I believe freedom is more precious than life, and I am willing to give my own life to preserve that freedom — for I know that the price of liberty has always been blood, whether in the Garden of Gethsemane or on the snows of Valley Forge, the battlefields of Gettysburg, or the sands of Iwo Jima and Normandy.

I believe government should have as its central purpose the expansion of individual liberty and opportunity, not the diminution of individual choice, potential, or responsibility.

I believe the true measure of a man or woman lies in the content of his or her character and commitment to liberty for all people in all places at all times, not in his or her age, ethnicity, national origin, native tongue, or social status.

I believe those who would trade liberty for security deserve neither, but will forever be bound by the chains forged from their own ignorance: from them I ask nothing other than their absence.

I am a conservative:

I believe government — just like individuals and families — must live within its means, that when a government refuses to so discipline itself it loses any and all moral authority to govern, and that to allow such immorality to go unchallenged is to acquiesce in the triumph of rapacity over reason.

I believe a man or woman is entitled to the fruits of his or her labor, that no one individual or no one entity — particularly government — is entitled to any portion of the fruit of that labor unless agreed to by common consent and used solely for the purposes of protecting and expanding individual liberty and rights, promoting growth, and executing the legitimate and limited purposes of government as understood and declared in our Constitution by its Framers, and that any other use constitutes theft, demeans individual initiative, debases self-respect, and inhibits potential.

I am a conservative:

I believe when the Savior said, “Come, follow me,” his words were an invitation to be better than we are and a recognition that goodness cannot be forced on any man or woman without defeating the very purpose for which he or she has been placed on Earth.

I believe men and women should be engaged in many works of their own free will, including feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and afflicted, lifting the downtrodden, and caring for the fatherless and the widow — but that men and women should do so willingly, that to force charitable behavior runs counter to the Savior’s invitation and frustrates his purpose for each of us, and that all the minions of far-away bureaucrats in all places and times combined will never accomplish what can be and is accomplished by countless individuals and charitable organizations who battle every single day to make life better for others … people and organizations who would do far more if the prerogative had not been forcefully removed from them by the desire of an ever-expanding government to exert ever more control over our lives, individually and collectively.

I am a conservative:

I believe no man or woman is above the law, including presidents and illegal immigrants.

I believe if one wants to come to and live in this great land, he or she does not begin by intentionally violating its laws.

I believe if one swears an oath to uphold the Constitution, to defend it from all enemies, foreign and domestic, he or she does not intentionally become an enemy to that same Constitution by choosing to disregard the laws with which he or she disagrees, or by issuing executive orders, policies, or directives that unilaterally change or direct government employees to defy the law.

I believe the judiciary’s purpose is to resolve conflicts between states and adjudicate contractual and criminal issues, and to make sure that laws passed are consistent with the Constitution as originally intended, and that legislating from the bench violates the doctrine of separation of powers and is a mortal threat to American law, political institutions, systems, and values.

I believe in federalism, that power is necessarily divided between the federal and state governments, that those powers not specifically given to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved exclusively to the people, their states and local governments, that those powers so reserved are to be held inviolate — free from any and all intrusion by the federal government, and that the states and local governments are the best incubators for experimentation and innovation in matters of public policy.

I am a conservative:

I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, and that the family is the bedrock of society and the foundation of Heaven.

I believe society has a vested interest in promoting traditional marriage because it is in the traditional home where boys are best raised to become men, girls are best raised to become women, and young Americans are best taught to become contributing citizens.

I am a conservative:

I believe life is precious — sacred.

I believe the termination of life in the womb should not be allowed for the sake of convenience, that life in the womb trumps the selfish desires of irresponsible adults.

I believe life deserves a chance even if, when born, that life faces obstacles — that a presumed disability is not a barrier to living life fully and completely.

I am a conservative:

I believe in every individual’s right to bear arms — it is the ultimate defense against a rogue government and the reason why that right has been preserved.

I believe in every individual’s right to worship as he or she pleases, and that no person or group should be forced to provide services or products that are counter to his or her religious convictions, regardless of the circumstances.

I believe in every individual’s right to self-expression, whether on a street corner, in a pamphlet, as part of a group, or through any other means available, and that the right to self-expression cannot be limited by government simply because government does not like the message, the extent of its reach, or the amount of resources expended by any one person or group to promote that message.

I believe in every individual’s right to due process and transparency in government, regardless of whether or not the application of these two principles is convenient for the government or any other public entity.

I believe in every individual’s right to use and dispose of his or her property as he or she chooses, without government knowledge or interference — except as needed to enforce legal contracts and debts.

I believe in every parent’s right to seek an education for his or her sons and daughters in a manner consistent with his or her own values, needs, priorities, and desires, that no parent should be forced to expose a child to environments, curricula, or other influences deemed inappropriate by the parent or parents of that child, and that — except in the case of an immediate, life-threatening medical emergency — no child should be given any medical treatment, medication, procedure, device, or advice, including counsel regarding gender identity issues and sexual practices, without the express permission of that child’s parent or parents.

I am a conservative:

I believe in free markets, that businesses should stand, succeed, flourish, or fail based on their own individual initiative, ability to innovate, and business acumen, that no business should be immune from failure or the object of rescue by government, that government needs to promote an environment that fosters innovation, competition, and growth, and that the federal government is constitutionally prohibited from promulgating and enforcing the majority of today’s regulatory regimens.

I believe in small businesses and entrepreneurship, that such endeavors are at the very heart of American industry, innovation, and ingenuity, that these enterprises need to be encouraged, and that no business should ever be placed at a competitive disadvantage relative to another as the result of preferential regulations or exclusionary bidding practices.

I believe medical decisions are to remain strictly confidential, that they are to be made by a patient in consultation with a doctor of his or her choosing, without any interference whatsoever by any government agency, that the federal government has no role to play in the regulation or delivery of medical care other than to eliminate frivolous lawsuits and to foster innovation and competition.

I believe experience clearly demonstrates that the most effective way to deliver needed medical care to every man, woman, and child, regardless of age or circumstance, is rooted in a free, unfettered market nourished by the innate goodness of American hearts, and that, if necessary, the individual states are the best laboratories for experimentation with alternate modes of delivery for medical care and services.

I am a conservative:

I believe in the idea that is America.

I believe in liberty, individual responsibility, voluntary associations, and the right to pursue and acquire happiness and property in any way consistent with my conscience and my faith — and I declare, affirm, and sustain the right of every other individual to likewise claim for himself or herself that same God-given privilege, the right to become whatever or whomever is consistent with his or her own conscience and the proper exercise of his or her rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

I believe America is mankind’s last, best hope for a future where liberty flourishes, where freedom and opportunity are not the exception but rather the rule.

I believe Americans are an exceptional people, that we are limited only by our imagination, love of others, and devotion to God.

I believe America has provided more freedom, opportunity, and wealth — temporal and spiritual — to and for more individuals than any other land, country, or people — or any combined group of lands, countries, or peoples — in the entire history of Earth.

I believe we can build that shining city once referred to by President Reagan, a brilliant, gleaming, alabaster fortress that will rise as a beacon of hope to all those seeking truth, liberty, and opportunity, that these seekers of light will come from every village and clime, hollow and hill, from every corner of the globe representing every race, nationality, kindred, tongue, station, and people — that it is our destiny to erect that ensign, a destiny best achieved by a free people acting freely and under the influence of that same Providence who has given birth to this great nation, by individuals acting individually and freely associating with other like-minded individuals.

I am a conservative:

I believe in the goodness, inventiveness, and initiative of men and women left to themselves — but devoted to liberty with an eye single to the glory of God, who is the Author of our liberty, the Fount of every blessing, the Defender of this most blessed and highly-favored land.

I know if we are true to our Divine Heritage, we cannot fail, for he will ever guide us.

But I also know our journey must begin on bended knees.

May we be wise enough to kneel.

May God be with us, and may God bless America.

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William C. Mason

710 West Adams Park Drive

Covina, CA  91722

email: b4genesis@verizon.net

If this message resonates with you, please consider contacting me and/or donating to my efforts to distribute this message far and wide. It is my intent to run for and capture a seat in the United States House of Representatives — a seat currently held by a progressive Democrat.

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(c) Copyright 2014 William Mason. All rights reserved: The work titled "I Am a Conservative" (the commentary directly above) may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without written permission from the author.