Freedom Erosion
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.
