I'm mad!

Do you want to know why I'm mad? It's not a simple thing to explain but it involves a deep set of conservative principles and a passion to help kids and minorities. I may ramble a bit here but hopefully will get my point across.

The first thing I'm mad about is how conservatives and Republicans (not always the same thing) have no idea how to win elections. The problem is a combination of many things. Some have said that we (the GOP) need to focus on technology. I agree with that to some degree. We got our butts handed to us in the technology arena during the last election cycle and we desperately need to fix that.

Others have said that we need to become more moderate, which in my mind is saying that we need to become more like the enemy! Yes, liberals and Democrats are the enemy. They do not have a desire to keep the USA the great country she has become. They do not believe the Constitution is applicable today. Obama (I will not call him president - I still don't think he is eligible) even said that the Constitution was fundamentally flawed! You can hear it for yourself here. So becoming more like "them" is not the answer. Besides, we have proved time and time again that when we run moderate candidates we lose and when we run conservatives we win.

Others have said, and this is the area I agree with strongly and one of the things I am mad about, is that we need to focus on bringing minorities into the conservative GOP fold. I'm mad because no one can seem to agree on how we should do this. Some go back to the argument above - become more moderate. I think this is the wrong approach because on nearly every issue the "minority" groups - Blacks, Hispanics, and Jews - agree with our conservative position. No matter whether it's higher taxes, abortion on demand, our military decimated and funding lowered to ridiculous amounts, freedom to practice our religion the way we want, free speech rights for everyone - not just those who agree with the current administration, eminent domain issues, and just about every other issue - we all agree.

So, why do these large groups of minorities, who agree with us on more issues than they disagree, continue to vote for Democrats and not with us? Some would argue that it's all because of money. The Democrats are always promising a handout and that may be part of the problem but I don't think it's the entire problem. Others argue that the problem is that we conservatives are mean. We don't express our position in a way that promotes an atmosphere of unity. That too is part of the problem but not the entire problem. Personally I think the problem lies more in how we don't have a good solid answer for how to deal with other social issues that are just as important. Issues like fatherless homes, adoption, foster care, unwed mothers, teenage pregnancy - and many, many others. Guess what? We conservatives always seem to respond with something like "that's not the government's responsibility" or that's not a "proper role of government."

What we have to do is find a way to deal with other social issues in a way that does not violate our conservative principles. That is the problem. No one seems to have an answer or solution for how to do that. I know it is not the government's Constitutionally directed responsibility to take care of all of these "other" social issues. But can we just ignore them? Can we just pretend they don't exist? Some would say that we should let society take care of these things - let it be handled by the "good will" of the people. I know that is PART of the solution. From a Biblical perspective Christians are to look after widows and orphans. I think that expands to these other social issues as well. Unwed and abandoned mothers (and yes, some fathers), abandoned and abused children, teen pregnancy and drinking, and many others as well. We in the church MUST step up and do our part. But that can't be the whole answer can it? I absolutely know that God is able to provide for all of these situations, but I also very firmly believe that He wants us to do our part to help. I don't consider it a lack of faith to believe that we must step up to do our part.

Let me give you my example that will explain why this is such a great frustration for me right now - and why I think these social issues are tied to the issue of minorities voting for and siding with conservatives.

My wife and I are in the process of starting a foster care youth ranch - Mended Fences. We are getting established as a non-profit 501(c)3, getting training as foster parents ourselves and looking for mentors and advisers. We have a dream of a world class foster youth ranch that will include multiple homes, an equine center, high and low ropes course, riding trails, chapel. amphitheater, and many other amenities. Despite what many are telling us we refuse to reduce the size of our dream - but that's a different post for a different time.

In our research and study we have found and joined several associations that support foster care and adoption, and many that support and advocate for other child welfare issues. The problem that I'm having is that most of these lobby for increased government spending to support foster care, adoption and other child issues. However, increased government spending violates conservative principles. Foster parents are given an allowance per child based on the emotional state of the child and the level of abuse they have suffered. Again, government spending, a violation of conservative principles, right? The flip side is this - there are not nearly enough people privately supporting foster agencies and homes. So how do they survive? They are forced to take the government funding.

You know what is really ironic? In our research we have discovered that a great many of the founders, owners, and board members of these agencies and organizations that help to solve the "social injustices" are conservatives! And it's often been said that conservatives far out give liberals. The problem is, it isn't enough. The liberals (and RINOs) keep raising spending and then raising taxes to pay for the spending that conservatives are nearly unable to give any more than they already do. And since conservatives don't want to (or aren't supposed to want to) increase government spending they are seen as mean by those very minorities they serve in these social institutions (no, not just minorities are in them). And then we only offer the "it's not government's job" answer. No wonder minorities don't vote with us.

So, what's the solution to these problems? Education is obviously a big part of it. We need to educate conservatives on the seriousness of these social issues. We need to educate minorities on our real position concerning these social issues - and not with the trite replies that make us seem mean and uncaring. Maybe more tax incentives like the charitable deduction would help. I don't really know.

My dilemma now is: how do we proceed? Should we accept the government aid or rely solely on private funding? Should we accept the government funding while at the same time fight to get more conservatives elected? I'm not even sure we can turn down the allowance provided for each child and still be foster parents.

Over the last several days I've asked several people I respect for their thoughts and most have only been able to say that yes, this is a dilemma. One person indicated that they don't accept government funding for their social endeavor but would understand someone who did. I also asked several respected "think tanks" for their thoughts and got absolutely no response. And we wonder why minorities think we are mean... I asked those same "think tanks" what kind of legislation there is that would offer support for these social institutions without violating conservative principles and again got no response.

It's very frustrating because I know that conservatives want to help. And I know that the vast majority of minorities believe the same way we do on the issues. I think, if we can find a solution that lies firmly within our conservative principles, that will help these social institutions and injustices, that we will be able to stop pushing away those minorities whose votes we must have if we hope to keep our country on the right path. The question is, what is the solution?

I welcome your thoughts...