Newbie/Former DUer (Yeah, whatever, goodbye to you and your friends, ZOT!)

Me, Myself, and I

[SeanQuinn]

Hi, my name is Sean Quinn. My original political philosophy was that of a moderate, then I creeped liberal, then joined DU. I had my fun there and became a donor (which I think's about to expire). I got a membership at FR, ORIGINALLY to just troll and to read as most DU folk do. After some serious post-election thinking and re-evaluating of my philosophy (a good issue for this is social security) I stopped going to DU. I started listening to 580 WDBO here in Orlando which advertises itself as "the conservative radio station". Thank the Lord, we don't get Air America here, so it's basically one of the few choices in talk radio. I heard Boortz (whom I love for his open-source talks as well as his political philosophy, yaay for linux) and then Hannity. The gentlemen I put down as a "rightie conservative" before now started to make some serious sense.

So, I say, HI. Though I have an account at DU of the same name, I won't be going back there. I'm pretty sure that I've found a home for me here at FR.

If you have any questions, comments, etc. please contact me on AIM at QuinnieDaPooh921 or of course, as always, post them below.

I'm a bit of a neocon, in the extent of taking it literally. I am a new conservative. I hope to once be known as a paleocon.

What I'd like to know is where to find a good guide or some hints for a newbie like myself. Is there a guide? What's Smoky Backroom and GOP Club for? Stuff like that. Thank you dearly.

-S. Quinn

[doug from upland]

(reprise, and change) DADDY, WHAT IS A RIGHT WINGER? -- change to "Middle American"
dfu | 11-2004 | dfu


Posted on 11/08/2004 7:22:46 AM PST by doug from upland


NOTE: I am bringing this back for those who missed it. Unlike the DemocRATS, we are not afraid to let people know what we believe. The other side wants to fool people and are afraid that they will learn what the left believes. We are Middle Americans. Perhaps that is what we should be calling ourselves rather than their definitions like neo-con and right winger.

---

When my daughter was growing up she asked me that same question that your children probably asked you. The answer was given during the Clinton times, but today the issues seem pretty much the same.


Those on the so-called political right hold some general beliefs in common. Not all of those on the right hold all of the same views.


I began the explanation with an exercise. We went into the middle of our street in front of the house. I had her take three steps to the left, and I took three steps to the right. She understood that, in political terms, I was positioning myself on the right. She was positioning herself on the left. Then, I had her take three more steps to the left. And three more steps to the left. And three more steps to the left.


She noticed that I was pretty far to the right of her. Her comment made me proud when she said, "Dad, yeah, you are way to the right, but you didn't move. You are where you were before. I have gone over the sidewalk and am on the front grass." Point made.


We did more, however, than merely play in the street. We had some real discussion during her growing years, and I gave a general idea of some of the beliefs held by those on the political right. Welcome to the dreaded right wing.


1. We believe that it is the right of all men to live free and determine their own destiny.
2. We believe that we are ultimately answerable to God for what we do on this earth.
3. We believe that the Constitution is the greatest secular document ever created and that, although it is secular, the influence of God in its creation cannot be denied.
4. We believe that men and women are different and that children have a much better chance in life if they are raised by a mom and a dad.
5. We believe that America is the greatest nation in the world and the greatest force for advancing freedom in the history of this planet.
6. We believe that it is first the job of the family, the extended family, friends, neighbors, and your community to help people. We should not look to the federal government first. That was never intended by the Founders and is an enormous waste of money and resources.
7. We believe that people who do bad things deserve to be punished. We may feel badly that someone had a rough childhood, but that gives him no right to harm another innocent person.
8. We believe that a murderer should pay with that which he has taken from someone else.
9. We believe that the most innocent of all -- the child developing in the womb -- needs to be protected.
10. We believe in the dignity and ability of individuals, not of groups. We will judge everyone on what they do, not on the color of their skin.
11. We believe that people should be rewarded by their sacrifice and hard work, not because they are part of a favored group.
12. We believe that slavery was horrible, but there are no living slaves and no living slave owners. A white person can feel badly that slavery was in our history, but we have no reason to feel guilty. We didn't do it.
13. We believe that the most important purpose of the federal government is the national defense of this country and maintaining a strong military.
14. We believe that if communists or Islamist terrorists want us dead, we need to take the strongest action possible to prevent it. We shouldn't leave our security to the United Nations.
15. We believe that you don't negotiate with evil. You destroy evil.
16. We believe that there are some bad policemen, but the overwhelming majority do a great job. We should be grateful that they are willing to put their lives on the line to protect us.
17. We believe in the right to own guns for our personal protection.
18. We believe that trial attorneys have run amok and are sucking the lifeblood out of business.
19. We believe that our schools have been taken over by leftists who care more about their agenda than teaching our children the skills they need to succeed -- reading, writing, math, and science.
20. We believe that homosexuals should be left alone, but that marriage needs to be between a man and a woman, and that children should be adopted by a mom and dad.
21. We believe that the word "American" has no place in the American Civil Liberties Union.
22. We believe that people should be able to smoke in a restaurant if that is the way the entrepreneur wants to run his business.
23. We believe that the excessive confiscation by the government of the money we earn is both immoral and hurts our economy.
24. We believe that an able-bodied person who receives money from the government (from us) should do something productive to get that money.
25. We believe that the free expression of faith does not violate any provision in our Constitution. In addition, we believe that the attack on religion and decency is doing great damage to our nation.
26. We believe that immigrants should obey our laws and wait their turn in line to come into this nation.
27. We believe that Ronald Wilson Reagan is the greatest president of the 20th century and that Bill Clinton is even worse than Jimmy Carter.


28. I believe that Islamist terrorists and Hillary Rodham Clinton pose the greatest dangers to this republic.

---

Welcome, Sean. I appreciate the fact that you have looked at both sides. There are cogent arguments on both sides. Unfortunately, those in power in the DemocRATic Party have taken their party so far left, that it is indistinguishable from the DemocRATic Party of John Kennedy. Unfortunately, many of the things in which we believe are distorted by a press that is very leftist. We hope you enjoy it here whether you agree with most of our positions.

[JoeSixPack1]

"If you're not a liberal at age 20, you have no heart. If you're still a liberal at age 40, you have no head."

Reality has a BS meter attached to it for your viewing pleasure. Keep it calibrated. :-)

[bad company]

to FRee Republic

[trussell]

Hi SeanQuinn...

The smokey backroom is for flamewars. People who can't behave themselves get their threads banished to the SBR.

BTW...you may want to be prepared for the Troll Lords!! They tend to have itchy trigger fingers. Grow a temporary shell to protect against bruised feelings!

I'm pinging some friends to come over and say Hi!

Now play nice...I started out as a Democrat converted to Republican!

[dfwright]

If you've read the admin mod's page, and have been lurking for a while then you should have a good idea what it's all about. I see you are already finding out about the 'trial by fire', I hope you are sincere and survive the testing... hehe

[mdittmar]

Welcome to the best forum on the net.

P.S. we'll be watching;)

What you thought you'd get a pass?

[SeanQuinn]

Let's see.

For one, gay marriage. I used to hold the position, "They're humans too, why can't they marry?" but I realize now how much of a deep slash that is to our moral values [that term is so over-used, but it really fits] and to our man-woman-children family structure.

Also, the Bible helped inspire that position. I surely don't want Sodom and Gomorrah all over again, do you?

Social Security as well. I don't know why I was for keeping it public but I used it anyway. I realize now how much privatization can do for my benefits and the benefits of those in the future. It's literally taking the benefits that are wasting away now and putting them in a 401k fund, if you will.

[shadeaud]

Welcome to the flock SeanQuinn. You will see that this site is open to everyone. Should you disagree with a viewpoint and you speak your mind( sans profanity) you will not be refused posting privileges.

[JennysCool]

Start drinking heavily, set your beeber to "stune," keep your sister away from moose, make a hugh and series effort to spell correctly, and buy cheese. Big wheels of cheese.

[Mr. K]

just the clean language alone will make you all warm and fuzzy-

go back there and ask if you would like your chidren to read some of their language...I think you will like it here... come into the light...

[cripplecreek]

Actually it never hurts to have an outsider come here to take a good long look and see that the conservative stereotype doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

We get into some pretty good scraps among ourselves sometimes. Evolution and states rights usually cause a pretty good dust up.

[pissant]

I hope you were freeperized instead of Hannitized (enter harp strings). Cheers and welcome.

[Earthdweller]

The first question from me is..what do you think this means??

"In Cote-d'Ivoire? France is of course not in the least interested in silly cocoa beans! It is the same with Saddam and the oil! Bloody peasants!

[NRA2BFree]

LOL!

[labette]

First you must prove your worth, bring us the broom of the wicked witc....er uh, Senator Boxer. Oh yeah, Welcome to FR.

[WestCoastGal]

That is really funny!!

LOL

[NRA2BFree]

Welcome to Free Republic. We'll see if you survive. LOL IF you do, you have to have a good sense of humor. :)

[SeanQuinn]

Hm, good post. It's more of the "I've been here, observing, and for an earlier bit of that time, 'mentally trolling'. Thinking of liberal comments that in the end made no sense, but made sense to me at the time about the topic.

I also needed to make sure I was ready for this ideologically. As I said, when I joined FR, I was a liberal joining to cause trouble. I now have realized my errors and wish to join you as a conservative brother (or if anyone here has heard Rusty Humpries, your brother from another mother.)

[queenkathy]

Out of curiosity. Age?

[Darksheare]

I was once a rabid envirowacky.

Changed my views due to the world turning topsy turvy.
(Best description I can think of at the moment. I'll try to refine it later.)