Elijah Friedeman, the Millennial Perspective

Conservatism reigns supreme right now as the political ideology of America. But despite that fact, we still have a liberal House, Senate, and White House. Obviously, there are varying degrees of conservatism. The hottest brand of conservatism right now is fiscal conservatism. It’s obviously popular right now because of the out-of-control spending by Washington. Fiscal conservatism hasn’t always had a stranglehold on the title of “most popular style of conservatism,” though. In the past neoconservatism has been in style, and social conservatism has even had its heyday.

But very few people today can, or even want to, claim the title of a complete conservative, someone who adheres to the principles and practices of conservatism in all aspects of their political views. Sadly, even fewer Millennials are full-fledged conservatives.

I’m one of the few Millennials who embrace conservatism at all levels. I’m not just a conservative because my parents are or because I just like to be a contrarian. No, I firmly believe that conservatism best expresses the political views that make for a better world.

So here’s a list in no particular order of the top ten reasons why I’m a conservative.

We have had wisdom and insight passed down to us that we can’t afford to ignore - We’re not dealing with new issues today. Human nature has stayed the same for millennia. History has clear lessons to teach us about the issues of the day; the founding fathers have lessons to teach us about government and policy; and the Bible has lessons to teach us about, among other things, morality. We can choose to ignore these teachings if we like, but there will be consequences if we do.

Abortion is wrong - I find it sickening that 50 million innocent babies have been legally murdered in this country in the past 37 years. Abortion is the most pressing issue of the day, both domestically and internationally, and I want to see this atrocity ended.

I believe that a nation is no stronger than its families - The sad truth is that our families are broken. Marriage has been devalued because of divorce and the push for gay marriage. Fatherlessness has crippled the family by removing a very necessary component in a child’s life. Because of all this the family unit is on the verge of collapse. I believe in making marriage, fatherhood, motherhood, and the family as a whole a serious priority, because without the nuclear family we’re lost as a nation.

Government is not bad. But government in excess is bad – And right now government has gone beyond the level of merely being in excess. It has reached a level that is threatening the wellbeing our nation. We must work towards a government that allows freedom for all its citizens in all aspects of life.

I don’t believe that government should bail you out - When government functions as it is supposed to, citizens have the freedom to make choices that are detrimental to themselves, and possibly society. As a result, we must practice and instill in our children the knowledge that actions have consequences. And we, not the government, must be responsible both for ourselves and for society as a whole.

I want to help the needy – This may seem counter-intuitive, because liberals are typically the ideological group credited with being the compassionate, caring people, albeit with yours and my tax dollars. But, you see, want to help the needy. I don’t want the government to do the job for me. Government cannot adequately help the poor and downtrodden. You and I, however, can and should.

My money (and my kids’ money) shouldn’t be the government’s – I subscribe to the radical belief that I know how to spend my money better than an out-of-touch government bureaucrat. Yes, I know, crazy. Furthermore, I think that it is morally wrong to saddle generations to come with the damage done by excessive spending. Less spending, fewer taxes.

I believe in a free market – Unlike George Bush I don’t believe that we should abandon free market principles in order to save the economy. I do believe that we should embrace free market principles in order to save the economy. Yes, I do believe in regulation, but not excessive or oppressive regulation. The strongest economy is one free of all but the most necessary regulation.

It is necessary to fight for our freedom – And by fight I mean literally and figuratively. We must stand up as a nation against the enemies of freedom abroad, with military action if necessary. We must also fight for our freedom here, standing up for everyone’s freedom, no matter the repercussions.

I believe in the foundational principles of this nation - The United States of America was founded 234 years ago. Since then we haven’t been perfect by any means, but the principles which this nation was founded upon have carried us through many trials. This strong foundation has enabled us to become the greatest nation ever. Not because of who we are, but because of what we are and what our foundation has been. Unfortunately we’ve lost touch with the core of what has traditionally made this nation great. I believe in holding fast to the guiding standards that have illuminated our path as a nation for 234 years.

Contact: themillennialperspective@gmail.com