Posted on 08/20/2007 10:30:08 PM PDT by Coleus
SOMETIMES tragic occurrences force us to stop and think – those are the moments that crystallize our perceptions of human relations. I found myself in such a state with the passing of a constituent, friend and fellow conservative who also happened to be gay. Our conversations convinced me that my beliefs in limited government can be shared across the chasms that liberals and conservatives perceive to separate us – ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. That conclusion is not popular on either side of the left-right spectrum: Liberals don't believe gays should be conservative and conservatives don't believe gays can be conservative, especially when a radical left gay contingent dominates media attention and right-wing conformists place their own moral judgment before individual freedom.
The Republican Party claims to be a "Big Tent," and rightfully so, as the core conservative principles of the party revolve around individual liberty and a limited government that serves to protect that liberty. These ideas can help our party cut across lines of "group identity," because the idea of freedom is appealing to groups that lack the political clout necessary to keep government out of their pocketbooks and lives. Historically, gay Americans have struggled for the freedom to live their lives the way they choose in order to pursue happiness. This is the American Dream, the cornerstone of conservative thinking, and it is these principles that make the increasingly influential gay community the conservative movement's natural ally.
It may surprise some to learn that the very same conservative who refused to be coerced into performing civil union ceremonies by government believes gay voters should be conservative, yet this very instance points to our common ground – a commitment to the rights of the individual and opposition to the power of a collectivist state. The media like to portray conservatives as wild-eyed ideologues, which is unfair. Of the philosophies that have directed civilization, conservatism has resulted in the most liberty for people around the world. It is at the hands of the liberal welfare state that individualism is destroyed; thus the failure of communism, fascism and socialism in promoting a signature American entitlement – "the pursuit of happiness."
Americans take that phrase for granted, but the idea was culture-transforming. Happiness derives its meaning from the Middle English hap, meaning "chance" or "luck." It is the same root present in the words perhaps or happenstance. The idea present in the words "pursuit of happiness" is the notion that individuals can make their own happiness. Happiness is not purely a matter of luck, but a goal to be pursued in a free environment characterized by limited government. Our Founding Fathers held this truth to be so "self-evident" that they declared it was the indisputable right of all individuals to pursue happiness. With this belief, many members of the gay community have played a critical role in the conservative movement. Conservatives from Terry Dolan to Andrew Sullivan prove there has been no shortage of influential gay leadership. Arguably, their involvement is even greater in the conservative wing of the party than in the moderate middle.
Upper income brackets
Many gay adults are also in upper income brackets, making the issue of low taxes, which conservatives have staked their reputation on, an important one. The principles of limited government that keep Big Brother out of our personal lives must also keep him out of our pocketbooks. Liberal Democrats may not care what individuals do in their bedrooms, but they are already rattling their tax-hiking sabers to let us know they do care what individuals do with their money. Obstacles to achieving our real goal of reducing the size of government and limiting its ability to interfere in our lives must be torn down. Gays shouldn't expect government to foist acceptance of their lifestyle on others; religious conservatives shouldn't expect gays to abandon an integral part of their being.
Barry Goldwater once remarked that government cannot pass laws to "make people like each other." His words still ring true today. Labeling people "homophobes" or "bigots" if they refuse to accept the entire gay agenda creates political fractures that work against individual liberties and serve to keep gay voters in the Democratic Party's political ghetto. The Republican Party must reestablish its commitment to the rights of the individual while respecting the moral code of one subset and upholding the freedom of another. Quite a challenge, indeed. However, the Big Tent needn't become a kaleidoscope of political policies designed to appeal to a large crowd at the expense of sacrificing principles.
Rather, it must transcend mere politics by becoming a manifestation of the principles that culminated in our Declaration of Independence and attract those who share this vision. The principles that are the underpinning of conservatism will ultimately make room in the tent for a surprisingly wide range of membership.
Reestablishing a commitment
In memory of the fine gentleman who inspired this article, I will reestablish my commitment to understanding and the core principles of conservative thought that I believe will best serve our future. My friend fought a tragic inner battle that tormented him to suicide. No one will ever understand the emotional turmoil that destroyed his life. The demons that haunted him and drove him to such a dark and lonely end also know no ethnic, gender or sexual-orientation boundaries. The boundaries of infinity are large enough and eternity long enough for all of us.
So let the values that we share, as mutual as those terrible instances of suffering that each of us can encounter, allow us all to strive for happiness during our brief stay on Earth. Thanks, buddy, see you in a better place. Steve Lonegan, a Republican, is mayor of Bogota.
>> the core conservative principles of the party revolve around individual liberty and a limited government that serves to protect that liberty.
well, they were certainly part of Ronald Reagan’s brand of conservatism.
The answer to the question is hell no. Most homosexuals vote Democrat. There aren’t more than million that might for Republicans. Meanwhile, pushing a homosexual agenda is going to angry tens of millions.
We seem to be losing political allies in this state fast.
Answer: Liberal perverts that care only about promoting sexual deviancy within the GOP.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1794584/posts
Brief history of the modern childlove movement
IMO, too many people are actually becoming politically correct and hestitant to use the words sexual pervert in public. I can’t imagine I shall ever be infected with PC. No, I won’t lose my manners in public but I will never accept queers as being normal human beings. They are sexual perverts. End of discussion.
Ann gone Rosie O on us? I believe history will show Ann as nothing more than a very smart opportunist.
I’m not a big fan of the whole ‘gay’ thing.
I find the concept kinda ‘gross’, but I’ll stop short of calling it a ‘surefire ticket to hell’.
That said; I don’t dislike ‘flaming gays’ any where near as much as I dislike ‘Flaming Liberals’.
So I welcome any homosexuals who happen to otherwise have conservative values to my side of the fight.
Funny how you posted that to my post 39.
Did you read post 39?
It is the Grand Old party, not the Gay Old Party.
Wrong again........"pursuit of happiness", from the Declaration of Independence, (Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness) means property rights.........property rights protected to a high degree. It does not mean "do your own thing".
This is just another example of people going out of their way to try and justify a known loser behaviour.
Ya know, it is organizations such as the Log Cabin Republicans that remind me never to believe your first impression when discussing politics. What could be a more patriotic name than Log Cabin Republicans. It’s kind of like the Progressive Democrats. If you don’t like the regular Democrats or the regular Republicans, then join the Progressives or the Log Cabin Republicans ........ and get right up close to communists.
Look again.... I didn’t post in reply to anyone. Just posted my opinion; directed to NO ONE.
I DID click on the ‘post reply’ button on your post, as it was the last post in the thread at the moment..... but then I deleted your name from the ‘to:’ box. So it was merely a matter of convenience, not a direct response.
My post has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with yours; My apologies, but I don’t much care what your opinion is on this subject; You are welcome to yours, I am to mine, and God will sort it out in the long run.
Sorry for any confusion due to whatever glitch in the interface made you think I was specifically addressing you.
Ann is absolutely right. I think most gays are more conservative than the MSM (wrong, yet again) would have us believe. At this point, I don’t think we should be trying to turn anyone away.
48 posted on 08/21/2007 2:43:33 AM EDT by LegendHasIt [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]
My question to you was, did you READ my post 39?
Most gays are about as far away from those pictures as one can get. Exactly zero of the ones I’ve met [which are few, but still...] were like that at all. Most of them really hate those freaky flamboyant types, in fact.
I find "Sir Francis Dashwood's post of some interest. Sorry, but I find no particular edification in yours.
Sorry if you are offended, but I don't really care about your opinion in this case... (although I often find myself in full agreement with you on lots of other things here at FR.)
If you won't take my word for it that I wasn't replying to you in general, or in particular, there is little point in wasting my time or FR bandwidth continuing this discussion.
Have a good night.
Sorry; I seem to have messed up the HTML tags on the using the quote... But y’all should be able to ‘get the drift’, nonetheless.
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