How to be an Effective Conservative
In these tense times, it’s easy to get caught up reading your phone and not do any doing. But what can an ordinary conservative person-in-the-street DO? Here is a start.
1. Speak up — this is important. You don’t have to raise the subject but when there is a political discussion, let your conservative values be known. Speak up to make sure the progressives in the room know there is another point of view — that people they know as smart, reasonable people see things differently than they do. Speak up to remind the other conservatives in the room that there are over 70 million other people that feel like they do and they can be bold. Speak up even if you aren’t part of the conversation. You don’t have to change anybody’s mind. You are not going to in a single conversation so don’t try. Just make the point. Express your view. Show your support. It doesn’t have to be much: “I support the police”, “Capitalism has brought untold prosperity to the world like no other system has.” You don’t even have to respond when the other person counters. Just say something. If you feel intimidated, remember that a lot of people are working really hard to make you feel that way.
2. Speak up calmly. Any panic, hysteria, or anger will only work in favor of the progressive movement which wants everything to be a crisis.
3. Speak up positively. You can rail against Biden’s overreach, Hunter’s corruption, and any number of scandals — all valid points — but that probably won’t be very effective. You will only get into an endless angry quarrel. You getting angry and spinning your wheels only favors the progressive movement which benefits from a crisis. Besides, it’s personally upsetting. Freedom, free markets, personal responsibility, limited government, faith are all wonderful things whose benefits are all around us. Progressives have lost sight of that. Talk about that. “We had record unemployment” “Manufacturing jobs came back” “We should enforce the laws” “We should take care of citizens.” “I am glad we have police keeping criminals off the streets.” Share the vision and set an example.
4. Talk more about issues than about Trump. I am a huge Trump fan but the person you are talking to will be quick to write you off as a Trump worshipper and so not pay attention to anything else you say. Defend Trump but make the issues the issue.
5. Donate to worthy causes. If it helps, decide how much you are going to contribute in a year, contribute it, and ignore all the remaining solicitations guilt-free. Conservative politicians and political groups need your money. Organizations exposing and opposing criminal activity need your money.
6. Pay for conservative news. I am used to getting all my news for free. Well, it was good while it lasted. Big Tech is de-platforming and de-monetizing conservative news organizations. Big Tech has tremendous power here and they will only get bolder about using it. When news organizations ask you to subscribe for a fee, pay for at least one or two of them.
7. Keep your lines of communication open with those with whom you disagree. Don’t sacrifice friendships over politics and don’t cut off the channel to share your conservative values. Continue to relate to your friends as friends. Your Democrat friends are hearing lots of nasty things about you now including that YOU are a domestic terrorist. Your personal connection is the best way to remind them that those things are not true. And that goes both ways, in the midst of all the terrible political shenanigans, you have to remember that your democrat friends are well meaning people like you who just see things differently.
