shelbygop

Trajectory Matters!

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 18:43:49 GMT

There is much at stake in 2026 with regard to the trajectory of our nation.

As a constitutional conservative and a Christian, I disagree with some of the things that some elected Republicans say and do at the local, state, and national level, yet I don’t abandon my party over those differences. And I don’t disengage in disgust over those differences either. Why? Because Trajectory Matters!

If I am trying to shoot an arrow at a target that is due north of me, then there are no circumstances under which I would turn around and shoot the arrow toward the south in the hopes of hitting the northern target. You simply don’t shoot in the opposite direction of your target and expect to hit it! While the two political parties have not always aimed in such polar opposite directions on so many issues, there is no denying that they do now.

Some examples of polar opposite trajectories we have relate to the Size, Scope, and Role of Government; Immigration and Border Policy; Economic Philosophy; Foreign Policy; Law and Order; the Uninfringed Right to Keep and Bear Arms; Human Sexuality; Men in Girls’ Sports and Restrooms; Parental Rights; Abortion; Marriage; and Religious Liberty! If the trajectory of our nation matters, then the party you vote for matters in every race of every election more than it ever has!

Sticking with the archery theme, if you truly want to hit your target, you must pull the arrow from its quiver, notch it onto the string, draw it back, and let it fly. If you don’t do that, there is “zero” chance you will hit your target. The arrow cannot remain in its quiver if you want to hit your target.

The same is true with politics. If we do not engage in the political process, if we do not vote, then there is zero chance we will influence the trajectory of our municipality, township, county, state, or nation. Even when we are disgusted with things that people in our party say and do, we cannot simply disengage. We must vote on every race and every issue in every election because we refuse to leave our arrow in its quiver when it comes to the trajectory of the society our grandkids will inherit. We must refuse to voluntarily silence our voices by not voting!

As we approach the 250 ^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I pray that we will be reflecting a lot on the sacrifices that men and women have made in the last two and a half centuries to give us the freedoms we enjoy today. Those signers pledged their "lives, fortunes, and sacred honor" to the cause of independence.

Countless thousands since them have done the same, because the trajectory of our nation was so important to them. What are “we” willing to do for “our” nation? We typically have two elections per year that influence our nation’s trajectory. Voting has become super-easy and convenient. Are we willing to commit to vote in two elections per year? That’s not a huge sacrifice to make to influence the trajectory of our nation!

Some may say it’s really hard to know who to trust for reliable election-related information. I agree! That’s where your “local” political party comes in. Regardless of which of the two major parties you align with, there is a local cadre of your friends and neighbors who immerse themselves into the details of each of these elections so that you won’t have to.

State law directs the creation of a “Central Committee” for each of the major parties in every county. We have 36 precincts in our county, and each one of those precincts gets to elect someone to represent them on their Central Committee.

So, you have a “local” organization comprised of “local” citizens that is created by state law to represent you in the political process. It is their mission in life to provide you with the information you need before you go to the polls. Who can you trust if not your friends and neighbors? If you think Republicans have the best trajectory for our nation, I encourage you to get connected with your local Republican Party to stay informed.

Currently, approximately one-third of our precincts do not have a representative on the Republican Central Committee. If you love our rural way of life, and don’t want to see it go the way of coastal elites, then maybe a position on our Central Committee is for you. Especially if you’re willing to get elbow-deep into the details of each election so your friends and neighbors won’t have to. If a few of us are willing, we can inform those around us.

There is much at stake in 2026 with regard to the trajectory of our nation. We have a Primary Election on May 5th with early voting starting on April 7th. Then we have a General Election on November 3rd with early voting starting on October 6th. Ohio will once again play a major role in determining our nation’s trajectory, and the voters of Shelby County will play a major role in Ohio’s outcomes.

Local, regional, state, and national races and issues of great importance will be on the line in 2026! Leftists are working hard to put four devastating constitutional amendments on Ohio ballots. Control of the US House and Senate also hang in the balance. Will you be informed and vote? Get connected with your local Republican Party to ensure you have the information you need when you go to cast your votes!

And please, commit to “always” influencing the trajectory of your municipality, township, county, state, and nation in every election, because the trajectory of our nation matters!

Election Administration: A Look Under the Hood

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 18:40:42 GMT

A Look Under the Hood

I continue to be amazed by what it takes to make an election happen! The average voter has a very limited view of the election administration process. The only recurring touch-point for the majority of us is when we show up at our polling place on Election Day, or visit the Board of Elections during the early-voting period. Some even do it all by mail these days.

Election Day was last Tuesday, but preparations had been underway for months. As a matter of fact, the Ohio Secretary of State and each of the 88 County Boards of Election are constantly preparing for the next two or three elections, some of which are over a year away. The personnel, equipment, material, and real-estate coordination for each election is mind-boggling once you peek “under the hood.”

Shelby County has 36 precincts at 17 geographic locations requiring nearly 200 workers for shifts that run from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm on Election Day. Fortunately, we have wonderful people from all around our county who see voting as a civic duty, and they consider it an honor and a privilege to be able to provide this service to their family, friends, and neighbors.

Have you ever wondered about our precincts? What are they and why do we have them? They are essentially part of a divide-and-conquer strategy required by state law. Imagine trying to process every Shelby County voter through one voting location managed by four people in thirteen hours on Election Day. Impossible, right? So, state law directs County Boards of Election to divide their counties into geographic precincts of 500 to 1,400 registered voters to make voting more manageable. Some readers may recall that the Board of Elections split one precinct into two recently because of population growth and increased registrations in one of their precincts.

The personnel piece of the puzzle will likely become more challenging in the years ahead. Many of Shelby County’s poll workers have been doing that work for decades and will eventually choose to retire. Those long election days can be taxing, especially as you get some years under your belt. Other counties have chosen to consolidate voting locations to reduce the number of poll workers needed because volunteerism is down and recruitment has suffered.

Yet, as I travel around Shelby County observing operations on Election Day, I am struck by how many poll workers and voters know each other by name. Many of our polling places still have that rural, small-town feel to them, almost like walking into Floyd’s Barber Shop in Mayberry. I know our county residents would not want to lose that nostalgic personal touch, so if you’d be willing to become a poll worker, please let the folks at the Board of Elections know. You can call, stop by, or express your interest online at https://lookup.boe.ohio.gov/vtrapp/shelby/pwapp.aspx

Additionally, most people don’t realize that we could have 76 different types of ballots for any given election. Nor that those ballots have to be finalized in late August for a November election, and that samples of ballots are posted online in early September. This allows voters to know exactly what they’re voting on long before they go to the polls. Samples are available as elections approach by visiting the office or online at https://www.boe.ohio.gov/shelby/

You might be wondering why we’d need 76 different ballots for the same election in Shelby County. One good example from this past week’s election is the Van Buren North voting precinct. They needed four different ballots for one precinct because they have four different school districts serving their precinct. A voter is only allowed to vote on a school levy for the district in which they live, so that requires four different ballots in the same precinct.

Although our polls closed at 7:30 pm this past Tuesday, that election is not over yet! The Board of Elections has “unofficial” results posted, but there is much more work to be done before “certified” results are posted. As a matter of fact, there are almost always more ballots to be processed and counted in the days following any election.

One reason is that ballots that were post-marked and mailed on, or before, Monday, November 3 ^rd will be processed and counted if they arrive by the following Saturday (today). So, the Board of Elections may not even have all the ballots in their possession until the Saturday after the polls close.

Also, if there is a question about a voter’s eligibility when they cast their vote, they are given a “provisional” ballot that they seal inside an envelope after they vote. The Board of Elections processes that ballot once the eligibility question has been resolved in the week following the election.

Bottom line, elections work doesn’t end when the polls close. In many ways, it is just beginning. The local Board of Elections has two meetings scheduled in the next two weeks to “finish” this election. The first one next week will be to process provisional and newly-arrived mail-in ballots, and to certify the election. The second one, the following week, will be to conduct a hand-count audit of a random sample of issues and races and to conduct any recounts that may be required.

I’ve just scratched the surface of what’s under the election-administration hood. Our local Board of Elections and our family, friends, and neighbors who work the polls do yeoman’s work to deliver us the elections we might sometimes take for granted. They provide a great service to our county, our state, and our nation! Please show your appreciation by voting in every election and by thanking them for their service!

The Rise of Anarchism in America

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:36:39 GMT

From sanctuary cities to defunded police departments, from open-border advocacy to unchecked riots in the streets, we have witnessed the rise of anarchy that is increasingly sanctioned by the leadership of the political left in the United States.

As I watch the divide grow between the political left and the political right in the United States, I often shake my head in disbelief. How in the world have we gotten to this point during my lifetime? But I still try to make sense of what I’m seeing so I can better know how to respond to it.

We are a nation founded on the rule of law and the consent of the governed, but we’ve seen a troubling surge of anarchism in the United States in the last decade. Anarchism is a philosophy that rejects centralized authority, denies national sovereignty, and elevates the desires of individuals and states over established “national” law and the constitution. It views governments, borders, and laws as “oppressive” constructs that need to be overcome.

Sound familiar? From sanctuary cities to defunded police departments, from open-border advocacy to unchecked riots in the streets, we have witnessed the rise of anarchy that is increasingly sanctioned by the leadership of the political left in the United States.

Not surprisingly, this surge coincides with President Trump bursting onto the political scene to shake up the status quo on both the political left and the political right. His common-sense actions to counter destructive leftist ideologies, especially in the first nine months of his second term, have forced leftist leadership out of the shadows and into the limelight to publicly advance their anarchist agenda.

Not every advocate on the left knowingly waves an anarchist flag, but the policies pushed by their leadership advance anarchist principles by undermining federal authority, excusing lawlessness, and rejecting national identity. The result is a nation teetering on the edge of chaos, where order is sacrificed for leftist ideology. Let’s look at some examples:

Sanctuary Cities and States

Over 600 jurisdictions boldly proclaim that we don’t have the right as a nation to control our borders. As a result, they shield criminal illegal aliens from our nation’s laws! That’s Anarchism 101! California’s Senate Bill 54 bars local police from assisting ICE. State Senator Kevin de León said that “California’s values demand inclusion, not enforcement”. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in 2021 that “We protect our residents, no matter their status.” By prioritizing “locally defined values” over federal law, sanctuary cities embody anarchist rejection of centralized authority, ignoring the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.

Defund the Police Movements Dismantled Public Safety

The 2020 “defund the police” movement, embraced by the progressive left, reflects anarchist disdain for state-enforced order. Cities like Minneapolis ($8 million budget cut) and Seattle ($20 million cut) slashed police funding. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted in 2020 that “Defunding means reallocating to communities.” The result? A 30% homicide spike nationwide, leaving communities like Chicago’s South Side reeling.

Open Borders Erase National Identity

The Biden administration’s border policies, like ending “Remain in Mexico” and halting wall construction, led to over 10 million illegal crossings since 2021. Vice President Kamala Harris, in 2021, called enforcement “inhumane,” focusing on “root causes” like poverty abroad. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, defending sanctuary laws in 2025, said, “Inclusion for all is our value.” This treats borders as artificial barriers, not sovereign necessities, echoing anarchist rejection of a nation’s right to exist. The cost? Fentanyl deaths hit 100,000 annually, and cities like New York spent $4.3 billion on migrant services in 2023.

Selective Prosecution Undermines Equal Justice

Progressive district attorneys, backed by leftist donors like George Soros, refused to prosecute crimes and released violent offenders. San Francisco’s Chesa Boudin and Chicago’s Kim Foxx prioritized “equity,” with Foxx stating in 2020, “We must rethink prosecution to heal communities.” Chicago saw a 50% homicide spike in 2021. Selective prosecution prioritizes anarchist ideology over truth and justice, risking public safety for utopian ideals.

Soft on Crime Policies Keep Criminals on the Streets

New York’s 2019 bail reform, championed by Governor Kathy Hochul as “a step toward fairness,” eliminated cash bail for most offenses. Result? 70% of released suspects reoffended. This leniency reflects anarchist disdain for punitive justice, prioritizing “reform” over safety and enabling lawlessness. People are dying from these policies. Alexander Dickey (40+ arrests), Decarlos Brown Jr (14 prior arrests), and Harvey Marcelin (dozens of arrests, including a murder conviction) all killed innocents in the last two years after being released from custody AGAIN!

Weaponizing Institutions Against Dissent

The Biden DOJ targeted conservatives, raiding Trump’s Mar-a-Lago and labeling parents as “domestic terrorists,” while sparing left-leaning figures like Hunter Biden. Attorney General Merrick Garland defended this as “protecting democracy.” Republicans, led by Mike Johnson, exposed this in 2023 hearings, demanding equal justice. This kind of selective enforcement echoes anarchist manipulation of power to silence opposition, perverting the rule of law.

Condoning Riots as “Protests”

The 2020 BLM and Antifa riots, with $2 billion in damages and 25 deaths, were downplayed by Democrats as “mostly peaceful.” Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan called the CHOP zone a “summer of love,” despite murders occurring there. Kamala Harris praised the riots’ “energy” in a 2020 interview. Condoning riots as “resistance” aligns with anarchist glorification of chaos as a tool for change. We’re seeing this escalate every day on the news as ICE agents are attacked for enforcing federal law.

Anarchism is on the rise right before our very eyes in leftist strongholds in America. It is being publicly encouraged by leftist Democrat leaders at the highest levels, and it threatens our republic’s very foundation. Sanctuary cities, open borders, defunded police, soft on crime policies, condoning violence, and weaponizing government reflect a rejection of authority, sovereignty, and law, echoing anarchist ideals.

As anarchism becomes more entrenched on the political left, we must all continue to fight for law and order, because without it we will lose our nation. That is, after all, the ultimate goal of anarchists!

America 250: Honoring Our Nation’s Founding Generation

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 17:12:25 GMT

The primary focus right now is to find and mark the graves of all of our Revolutionary War Soldiers as we approach the 250 ^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

We celebrated Arbor Day at a ceremony in Tawawa Park last April. I don’t normally think of Arbor Day as either a patriotic or nostalgic holiday, but it carried extra meaning this year. Arbor Day fell within a few days of the 250 ^th anniversary of Paul Revere’s ride, marking the start of the Revolutionary War. Something similar will be true of every day that passes for the rest of this year and much of the next.

Every day that goes by, we know that 250 years earlier our ancestors were fighting for independence from Britain. Our Founding Fathers were having the debates and making the decisions that ultimately led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Every day that goes by this year, we can wonder what life must have been like 250 years earlier, when we were in the early days of that war.

We planted a White Oak tree at our Arbor Day celebration in April, and the people who came 250 years before us were not far from our minds. The oldest known living tree in Ohio is also a White Oak that is estimated to be 585 years old. To put that into perspective, it would have been 335 years old when our Revolutionary War soldiers were fighting for our independence. There are still trees standing all over Ohio that may have given shade to soldiers and their families in the years that followed the war. Oh, if trees could talk!

Tilda Phlipot, from the Shelby County Historical Society, asked me to speak about the 21 Revolutionary War soldiers who are buried in Shelby County cemeteries at the Memorial Day Ceremony. Ohio didn’t become a state until 1803, so our most direct connection to the Revolutionary War is the soldiers who survived it, and then made their way to the “Ohio Territory” to help settle it and build a life for themselves and their families. Many war survivors were rewarded for their service with a plot of land, and that’s how Shelby County became home to many of them.

Arguably the most famous of our soldiers is Lewis Boyer. He was born the 3 ^rd of July, 1756 near Hagerstown, Maryland. He enlisted on the 17 ^th of February, 1776 and served in an elite company of 50 body guards protecting General George Washington. Lewis married Rosanna Kerns in 1789 and they had 10 children. They came to Ohio in 1810, receiving a war pension and 100 acres of land. He died on the 19 ^th of September, 1843 at the age of 87 and is buried in Wesley Chapel Cemetery in Orange Township.

Other soldiers buried in the county are James Cannon, Ezra Carey Jr, Thomas Curts, Lawrence Curts, William (Billy) Davis, Reverend William Davis, Caleb Gobel, Peter Hall, John Hardin, Henry Jones, John Line, Joseph Line Jr, David Mellinger, Elijah Pixley, Thomas Shaw, Joshua Stephens, Timothy Wale, Thomas Wilkinson, Sr, and Samuel Woodward. Maybe you recognize a family name in the list and want to investigate further. If so, please check in with the Historical Society.

But this is where the story took a personal turn for me. One name I haven’t mentioned yet that was on the list that Tilda gave me was Zachariah Cecil. It turns out he is my great, great, great, great, great, grandfather and he is buried less than five miles from my house in the Carey Cemetery, just north of Hardin. I had no idea, until I started doing research for that Memorial Day speech.

Further research led me to Cecil Cemetery in Washington Township where I found even more of my long-departed family. Among them was Zachariah’s nephew, William Wirt Cecil, and many of his family. William served as a Justice of Peace for Washington Township, an Associate Judge in Hardin, and a Shelby County Commissioner at various times.

The sad news is that Cecil Cemetery has not been maintained for many decades, and nature reclaims what is not maintained. Few of the 40-plus stones are standing, and many are buried under shallow dirt and debris. Sadly, there are several cemeteries in the county that are in this condition. The Historical Society is leading an effort to eventually restore them all to a dignified state.

The primary focus right now is to find and mark the graves of all of our Revolutionary War Soldiers as we approach the 250 ^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. However, we’re documenting the location of soldiers who fought in other centuries-old wars as we go. The goal is to honor the sacrifices of all of our war veterans. And as we do it, we’ll begin to reclaim the “lost” cemeteries where some of them are buried.

If this interests you, and you’d like to help, please contact the Shelby County Historical Society and let them know. And as you go about your life over the course of this next year, enjoying various holidays and celebrations, please remember that 250 years earlier, these people were laying the groundwork for the county, state, and nation we are all so blessed to call home.

The America 250-Ohio Commission is charged with leading Ohio’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. Visit their website to learn more at https://america250-ohio.org/

America 250: What An Amazing Opportunity to Honor Our Nation’s Founding Generation!

Healthy Roots are Essential to a Healthy Nation

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 17:09:45 GMT

Power in our nation is designed to flow from the bottom (the roots) up. Our founding documents make this clear:

My daughter noticed some brown spots in her yard and skunks soon began digging up big tufts of dead grass. Most likely, grubs had infested the yard, killed the grass at the root level, and the skunks came to feast on the grubs. Healthy roots are essential to a healthy plant!

The same is true of our nation! In the political realm, the term "grassroots" refers to the concept of ordinary citizens at the local level being in charge of our nation as opposed to political elites, or institutions. Founded as a constitutional, representative republic, our nation is designed to be in the hands of “We the People”. Power in our nation is designed to flow from the bottom (the roots) up. Our founding documents make this clear:

The Declaration of Independence (1776)

“We hold these truths to be self-evident…governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

The U.S. Constitution (1787)

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.”

The grassroots metaphor is unmistakable in our founding documents. Elizabeth Willing Powel, at the close of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, asked Ben Franklin what form of government we had, “a republic or a monarchy”? Franklin replied “A republic, if you can keep it”.

Franklin knew the danger. He was warning that the newly formed United States was a constitutional republic, not a pure democracy or monarchy, and that its survival depended on the “active engagement” of its citizens. Few would argue that civic engagement in our nation, state, county, and municipalities is where Ben Franklin would want it to be. We must do better!

We must push back on the self-defeating notion that local politics, and civic engagement, does not matter! Sure, we elect people to represent us in Columbus and DC, but they will tell you that “local elected representatives” can be very influential in how they represent us.

Township Trustees have state and national associations who try to influence policies in Columbus and DC. The same is true for County Commissioners, County Auditors, Village & City Mayors, and just about every other local elected office. How your “local” elected officials represent you in those state and national associations matters greatly! Our conservative, Shelby County, voice needs to be heard if our values will help shape policies at the state and national level.

We should also view local elected office as a potential “farm team” where future candidates for higher office are developed. We must elect the right people at the local level to feed in to this pipeline of future candidates. Unfortunately, the elections where these people are selected have extremely low voter turnout.

There is a four-year election cycle in Ohio. Starting with the most recent Presidential Election year, that cycle follows this general four-year pattern:

(Year 1) March 2024 Primary Election allows each political party to elect their nominees for President & Vice President and for offices in the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Ohio General Assembly, and some county offices.

(Year 1) November 2024 General Election for President and Vice President; U.S. Senate; U.S. House of Representatives; Ohio General Assembly; Ohio Supreme Court; County Commissioners (2 of 3), and a Statewide Ballot Measure.

(Year 2) May 2025 Primary Election (if needed).

(Year 2) November 2025 General Election for Township Trustees (2 of 3); a Township Fiscal Officer; Village Council Members; School Board Members; and some Municipal Offices.

(Year 3) March 2026 Primary Election to select party nominees for state and federal offices.

(Year 3) November 2026 General Election to elect members of the U.S. House; U.S. Senate (1 of 2); Ohio’s statewide offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, & Auditor; all 99 Ohio House seats; and half of the 33 Ohio Senate seats; Ohio Supreme Court justices, appellate judges, some local judges; and County Commissioners (2 of 3).

(Year 4) May 2027 Primary Election will be similar to 2025, with nonpartisan primaries for local offices, and possible partisan primaries for special elections.

(Year 4) November 2027 General Election for 1 of 3 Township Trustees (1 of 3); possibly a Township Fiscal Officer; Village Council Members; School Board Members; and some Municipal Offices.

Each of these eight elections are important. Ben Franklin, and our other founding fathers, would certainly have expected all of us to participate in all of them, as well as any other special elections called as needed. He told Ms. Powel that we have a republic, if we can keep it! Civic engagement (voting) is not optional if we want to keep our Republican form of government!

The drop-off in civic engagement is not unique to Shelby County. It is a nationwide problem. But the revolution has to start somewhere, so why not right here in Shelby County? Let’s commit to showing other counties around our state and nation how Ben Franklin expected it to be done. Let’s work together to make grassroots civic engagement cool again!

Voter registration deadline for the upcoming election: October 6, 2025

Early in-person voting begins: October 7, 2025 at the Board of Elections

Election Day is: November 4, 2025

Make your plan to vote, because healthy roots are essential to a healthy nation!

Late addition: Less that 24 hours before the deadline for this article, Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old Christian, husband, father, and conservative icon, was assassinated while debating ideas with students on a college campus in Utah. His “crime” was civic engagement! Please pray for Charlie’s family and for our nation. And honor Charlie’s life and legacy by ramping up your own grassroots civic engagement.

Freedom Erosion

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 16:31:31 GMT

Religious freedom, another conservative cornerstone, faces erosion under collectivist policies prioritizing inclusion.

Leftist Policies Erode Freedoms

Government can be a powerful tool for forcing societal change upon a population. But government policies designed to transform a society, no matter how well-intentioned, have consequences that can negatively impact those least desirous of a “transformed” society.

The political left’s collectivist, government-centric approach, with its emphasis on “systemic” fixes and “collective” virtues, has increasingly encroached on the individual freedoms cherished by conservative Americans. From gun rights to religious expression, the left’s reliance on state power to enforce ideals like “equity” or “compassion” often sacrifices the liberties of those who value personal responsibility, limited government, and traditional values.

Consider each of those key leftist terms, “equity” and “compassion,” in light of the reality that they want to achieve them by means of government power. Always remember that “equity” is nothing more than “redistribution of wealth,” generally sold as the “compassionate” thing to do. Take from some and give to others so all become equal. All of human history has proven that empowering a government to do this is disastrous, yet some still try.

And “compassion” is an individual, values-driven, term, not a government commodity to be managed. One person may say that hormone therapy and sex-reassignment surgery is the compassionate thing to do for a gender-confused little boy. Most of us have a much different view of the compassionate thing to do in that case. We don’t want government mandating compassion because nobody knows how they will define it.

That’s not the role of government anyhow! Government’s responsibility is to provide a safe and prosperous nation from which individual citizens, and churches, and businesses can show compassion to the less fortunate as each sees fit.

The left’s worldview sees government as the tool to correct societal wrongs. But every government policy has trade-offs, and the left’s focus on collective goals often tramples the freedoms of individuals, particularly conservatives who hold a “constrained” view, valuing personal responsibility and limited government.

Take gun control for example. The left argues that restricting firearms enhances public safety, but the trade-off is clear. The Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens are curtailed while criminals will still have guns. Conservatives, who see gun ownership as a fundamental liberty tied to self-defense and resistance to tyranny, bear the cost. The left’s faith in government to ensure safety overrides the individual’s right to self-defense, a freedom we conservatives hold dear.

Religious freedom, another conservative cornerstone, faces erosion under collectivist policies prioritizing inclusion. Consider the case of Jack Phillips, the Colorado baker sued for refusing to create a cake for a same-sex wedding. The left framed this as a matter of equality, with government enforcing nondiscrimination. But for conservatives, it’s about the individual’s right to live by faith without state coercion. Phillips wasn’t denying service broadly; he objected to a specific act conflicting with his beliefs. Yet, government intervention forced him to choose between his conscience and his livelihood.

Similarly, policies mandating transgender pronouns or access to women’s spaces, pressure religious institutions to comply, sidelining their freedom to uphold biblical views on gender. The left’s collectivist goal of inclusion overrides the individual’s right to religious expression.

Free speech, a bedrock of conservative values, is increasingly curtailed by the left’s emphasis on social justice. Hate speech laws, content moderation, and campus speech codes reflect a belief that government should protect people from “hurtful words.” The collectivist aim of protecting “feelings” sacrifices the individual’s right to speak freely, a freedom conservatives rely on to challenge progressive ideologies.

The left’s economic policies, like student loan forgiveness, universal basic income, and wealth taxes, prioritize “equity” but erode the economic freedoms conservatives value. Take student loan forgiveness, which was a Biden administration priority, for example. The 2022 plan to cancel $10,000 to $20,000 per borrower aimed to alleviate debt burdens, framed as compassion. But the cost, estimated at $400 billion by the Congressional Budget Office, falls on taxpayers, many of whom never attended college or already paid off their loans. The left generally wants to use “your” money to be “compassionate” to others by “their” often-flawed definition of compassionate.

Housing policies like rent control, popular in left-leaning cities, prioritize affordability but infringe on property rights. San Francisco’s rent control laws, for instance, cap increases for tenants, aiming to protect low-income residents. But a 2019 Stanford study found they reduced rental housing supply by 15%, as landlords converted units to condos or exited the market. The left’s collectivist goal of ensuring housing access overrides the individual’s right to control their property, discouraging investment and innovation. There are almost always unintended consequences to government control overreach!

In education, the left’s push for diversity and inclusion often sidelines parental rights. Policies in states like California require teaching gender identity in schools, framing it as inclusivity. But conservatives, who value parental authority over children’s moral upbringing, are marginalized when government imposes ideological curricula. The collectivist aim of systemic “equity” overrides the individual’s right to guide their child’s education, which is a freedom conservatives cherish.

The pattern is clear: the left’s government-centric approach elevates dubiously-defined virtues like compassion, equity, and inclusion at the expense of individual freedoms like religious expression, free speech, economic liberty, parental rights, and gun ownership.

For conservative Americans, the left’s policies create a tangible loss of freedom. Religious believers are coerced into violating conscience. Parents lose control over their children’s education. Taxpayers bear the burden of redistributive schemes. Gun owners face restrictions that weaken self-defense. The left’s collectivist vision often sacrifices the liberties conservatives hold dear, replacing individual choice with state control.

Leftist policies “will” erode our freedoms if we allow them to be implemented! Let’s not!

Dan Cecil

Sidney

Dan is a Christian, Husband, Father, Grandfather, American Patriot, retired 30-year Air Force Veteran, and now a professional volunteer. He currently serves as Chairman of the Shelby County Republican Party and as a member of the bi-partisan Shelby County Board of Elections. Dan lives in Sidney with his wife Kim and their herd of rescue cats.

Register to Vote in Shelby County

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 14:51:40 GMT

Voter Registration Deadline: April 8, 2019 for May 7, 2019 Primary Election

Click here to register to vote in Shelby County.