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Daddy, What Is a Right Winger?
DFU commentary | 8-2003 | Doug from Upland

Posted on 08/10/2003 6:38:44 PM PDT by doug from upland

Daddy, What Is a 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.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: conservatism; conservative; constitution; freedom; liberal; liberalism; politics; rightwinger
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1 posted on 08/10/2003 6:38:44 PM PDT by doug from upland
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To: doug from upland
Twenty-eight rounds of applause!
2 posted on 08/10/2003 6:44:24 PM PDT by Old Sarge (Serving You... on Operation Noble Eagle!)
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To: doug from upland
"Daddy, What Is a Right Winger?"

"Well, darling, here's a picture of one":


3 posted on 08/10/2003 6:44:58 PM PDT by BenLurkin (Socialism is slavery)
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To: doug from upland
Might want to clue in the GOP...
4 posted on 08/10/2003 6:45:42 PM PDT by thoughtomator (Are we conservatives, or are we Republicans?)
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To: rooster1; tazman3
ping for later
5 posted on 08/10/2003 6:48:54 PM PDT by tazman3
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To: thoughtomator
Politics is the art of the possible. I hope there is a rebirth of our values in this country.
6 posted on 08/10/2003 6:55:20 PM PDT by doug from upland ( Jesse Jackson and Gloria Allred never met a camera they didn't like.)
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To: doug from upland
That about sums it up. (I'm going to book mark this.) this is like the John 3:16 of conservatism.

And by 20 you don't mean that sodomites have a right to sex, do you?
7 posted on 08/10/2003 6:58:23 PM PDT by Lantern1776
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To: doug from upland
Hard to convince people when we put up front men (RINO candidates) who don't share those values.
8 posted on 08/10/2003 7:00:32 PM PDT by thoughtomator (Are we conservatives, or are we Republicans?)
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To: doug from upland
Good post, Doug. It will be printed up and left on one of the lefties desk here at work. Number 2 is an important one, as is the last one. Good work!
9 posted on 08/10/2003 7:01:35 PM PDT by cardinal4 (The Senate Armed Services Comm; the Chinese pipeline into US secrets)
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To: thoughtomator
BFL
10 posted on 08/10/2003 7:02:24 PM PDT by dts32041 (So how do you like taxation with representation?)
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To: doug from upland
I would add to the Jummy Carter, that he was the worst president and EX-president ever to hold the titles.

(the adress to the spanish speaking cuban parlament where in he English demands Democratic reforms in Cuba yet in Spanish harangs the US to end the embargo is classic Carter politician evil.)
11 posted on 08/10/2003 7:02:55 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (Vote!)
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To: Lantern1776
Yes, they have a right to do with adults what they want behind closed doors. They will answer to God, not us.
12 posted on 08/10/2003 7:07:04 PM PDT by doug from upland ( Jesse Jackson and Gloria Allred never met a camera they didn't like.)
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To: Old Sarge
Being an Eagle Scout still means a lot.
To more people than you think. It's just not
neccesary to go around commenting on it all the time.

The people that feel Eagle Scouts are not important
are the ones that are trying to tell everyone else how to feel.
Well, those people can reach back a kiss my %#^.....

God Bless you Old Sarge

13 posted on 08/10/2003 7:09:46 PM PDT by ThreePuttinDude (...""Infinite Justice"".....Yep that's what we're dealing out....)
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To: doug from upland
This is very true. In my lifetime I have seen Democrats become Communists, Republicans become older-sytle Democrats, and taxes rise above 50%.
14 posted on 08/10/2003 7:09:52 PM PDT by kcar (T)
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To: doug from upland
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.

We do? I thought he was the 2nd greatest president of the 20th century just behind John Calvin Coolidge. ;-)

15 posted on 08/10/2003 7:10:10 PM PDT by Rightwing Conspiratr1
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To: doug from upland
BUMP
16 posted on 08/10/2003 7:10:52 PM PDT by Centurion2000 (We are crushing our enemies, seeing him driven before us and hearing the lamentations of the liberal)
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To: doug from upland
28. I believe that Islamist terrorists and Hillary Rodham Clinton pose the greatest dangers to this republic.

Bravo!! excellent, I wish I could put all this on a business card.

17 posted on 08/10/2003 7:13:38 PM PDT by The Mayor (Psalms 118:8 (NKJV) -- "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.")
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To: doug from upland
Well put!

I continue to have great faith in the youngsters growing up in America today. There are some really terrific young people serving in our military, and younger ones who look up to them. I believe the pendulum is indeed swinging back.

18 posted on 08/10/2003 7:14:03 PM PDT by Think free or die
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To: doug from upland
Whew!! If you came up with all of that yourself, I think you can go ahead and quit your day job.
I have made political discussions a part of my children's lives since day one. I've never forced an idea on them but of all the things they disagree with me about (which is EVERYTHING), politics isn't one of them. My wife (teasing) has suggested that I've brainwashed them. I say, "better me than that frickin' village".
19 posted on 08/10/2003 7:26:25 PM PDT by Spok
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To: The Mayor
I have been saying it for some time. all 30 episodes of THE REAL HILLARY CLINTON
20 posted on 08/10/2003 7:26:44 PM PDT by doug from upland ( Jesse Jackson and Gloria Allred never met a camera they didn't like.)
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