Conserv Yourself

Today's conservative principle is that we appreciate the craftsmanship of historical monuments as physical records of history that give us concrete historical bookmarks that feed our conservative beliefs.

Today, we are going to dig into a recent interview that 60 Minutes' Scott Pelley had with former Senator Ben Sasse, who is battling terminal cancer. Our conservative principle is simple today. We appreciate the voices of those who have lived their lives in a way that seeks truth and wisdom.

In light of the indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center, today's conservative principle is that when we engage and participate with organizations and groups, we don't just take those groups at face value. We closely investigate if that group is advocating for God-given rights, protects against those first principles that our founding fathers believed in (and conservatives since then), and is willing to stand up with courage for freedom and liberty.

We continue our look into The Federalist Papers No. 10, written by James Madison in 1787. We approach the intimidating language and vocabulary by using a modern AI tool to translate this essay into modern English. We are reading through this essay because today's conservative principle is that we elevate the Founding Fathers' vision of a republican government over that of what some might call a "pure democracy".

Today's conservative principle harken back to the founding of our country. As conservatives, we elevate the Founding Fathers' vision of a republican government over that of what some might call a "pure democracy".

Today's conservative principle is that private ownership, free markets, and a capitalistic economic system are the best that the world has ever seen. We hear from Milton Friedman, and we identify the win-win mindset of a capitalist system.

It has been over 4 years since our last episode. Almost feels like a lifetime ago. We review what has happened in the last 4 years and set the stage for a new season of Conserv Yourself!

Today's conservative principle might be something that progressives will fight us tooth and nail on, but I believe it is true. Today's conservative principle is that everyone, every human being, has either expressed, lived out, or at least subconscious conservative values. We take a look at and responding to a NYT opinion video titled "Liberal Hypocrisy is Fueling American Inequality. Here’s How."

Today's conservative principle is that we understand that the freedoms of our country are not safe without the guard of those who understand that liberty is but a short breath away from tyranny. It is the citizens of this nation, steeped in the rich history, good and bad, that are the guardians of liberty, and we know that the guard's watch never ends to keep the rot of tyranny at bay.

Today's conservative principle is we can expose the faulty beliefs of others not by statements from our side, but by asking good questions and allowing them to almost refute themselves. We take a look at the "Columbo Tactic" from Greg Koukl's book Tactics.

Today's conservative principle is we will hold to the traditional, Judeo-Christian idea of sexual ethic. Father's getting arrested, cancel culture, leftist are anti-everything. Books can't be cancelled.

We discuss Facebook today. Today's conservative principle is we value the personal freedom that liberty affords, but we will cautiously investigate the benefits and concerns of the important influences in our lives. While we live as individuals, we also are highly impacted by people and things that are outside of each of us.

Today's conservative principle is we will consider hard the ramifications of the 2nd Amendment not only as to the firearms available to the people but also to the true reason for the amendment - a well regulated militia.

Today's conservative principle is we will take a historical approach to the effects in America due to slavery, Jim Crow south, and other racism observed in history, but we don't buy into the racialization of every current issue as would be defined through critical race theory, intersectionality, or identity politics.

AOC. Treason. California Recall. Norm Macdonald. Today's conservative principle is we will keep up with the times keeping track of news-worthy events happening around us, but we go further to think deeper on the meanings of these stories.

With the Supreme Court declining to stop the Texas Heartbeat Law, abortions are effectively banned in the state of Texas after 6 weeks of pregnancy. Today's conservative principle is that we uphold the sanctity of human life.

Today's conservative principle is we feel that western civilization has produced the principles that have produced the richest, most free, and greatest source of individual liberty.

Today's conservative principle is that we take interest in the past, especially America's past, as we discover insights, warnings, mistakes, and successes in our history as valuable facts that can feed into the current and future decisions.

Today's conservative principle is we stand against, and even raise up arms against, evil as it presents itself in this world. Like a recurrence of cancer, the Taliban have taken quick and deadly action to take over Afghanistan on President Biden's decision to pull all American troops and personnel. Former Vice President Mike Pence calls this, "a foreign-policy humiliation unlike anything our country has endured since the Iran hostage crisis."

Today's conservative principle is that there is a narrow sexual ethic principle that is held by the majority of conservatives. It is really rooted in the Judeo-Christian principles that make up much of the core values of the conservative world view. Sex is reserved to one man, one woman joined together in a lifelong, honoring, monogamous marriage. Marriage first, sex after, honoring each other until death do you part.

Today's conservative principle is in the wake of regulation, we opt to keep government out as much as possible. As government control grows, the risk also grows for that government to become tyrannical (and some may say inevitable outcome left unchecked.)

Today's conservative principle is we will walk the walk and talk the talk. But we wont be satisfied by surface level knowledge. We will study, being life-long learners, the topics that really matter. We will discuss and have conversations open to new ideas. BUT we will fortify those living principles that we live out life. It is going to take more than a shallow argument to knock us off our platform.

Today's conservative principle is we are going to know what we believe and have arguments based in logic, history, and rationality. But more than that we will teach our children those arguments (and the counterarguments) as well. "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Today's conservative principle is that we are for the freedom of speech. Especially the freedom to speak out on issues we see around us. A great example of freedom of speech from a conservative voice comes from North Carolina Lt Gov Mark Robinson.

Today's conservative principle is that we are going to fight for our personal freedom. What is freedom? Why is it important? Are there things that disguises themselves as aspects of "freedom" when in fact they are not?

Today we look at the conversations that are happening around Biden's Catholic faith and we also compare to those criticisms thrown at Amy Coney Barrett's Catholic faith. Are we talking about the separation of church and state or are we talking about legislating morality that goes beyond religion?

Private prisons, anti-Asian discrimination, climate change, scientific integrity, and abortion are all on the table in the latest round of President Biden executive actions. Congrats to Biden for setting the record for most executive orders in the first week of any presidency!

Biden angers union workers as well as Canada's Trudeau with Keystone XL pipeline halt, more COVID-19 actions, LGBTQ protections, and we are only halfway there!

We have seen 27 executive actions in the first two days of President Joe Biden's administration. They are promising that by the end of January there will be 53 in total. What can we find in these orders and what can we look forward to?

Trump pardons, Lil Wayne, Harris resigns, Cuomo tries to jump vaccine line, My Pillow guy gets served.

With the unprecedented actions by social media websites toward their users in the last week, we explore the massive world and conversation revolving around a person's digital privacy and how personal data is being extracted and profited on by Big Tech.

With the coordinated de-platforming of US President Donald Trump from Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms, what is the future of free speech online?

What a sad day to hear of violence again in the streets. Protesters marching in Washington DC for a Trump rally were angered and riled up over Trump's loss in the election. As tensions rose to a boiling point some protesters took it upon themselves to break windows of the Capitol building and trespass while Congress was in session. Images of capitol police, guns drawn, protecting senators behind closed doors, are now seared into our memories.

As Georgia goes into its runoff election today for their two Senate positions, the rest of the nation (and world) is watching. Who are these candidates and what could the next two years look like for American politics?

With Oregon voters decriminalizing drug possession, we take a look at a conservative principle that can we apply to drug policies along with other policies that voters and politicians try to ban or not ban.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We discuss four stories from this week. Russia malware. Russia assassination attempt. COVID-19 in Alberta. Mom refuses to tell her son Trump won... for 4 years.

Today's conservative principle is that we will read a wide variety of news sources so that we can stay in the know of what is happening in the world we are a part of.

The left loves to call conservatives anti-science when a differing opinion is presented. Today's conservative principle is that we allow all voices to be heard in the realm of scientific exploration and we allow people to make their own decisions based on the evidence that they see.

There are so many conservative personalities out there. Today's conservative principle is that we seek out intellectuals and consume information with the goals of understanding, analyzing, and coming to our own conclusions with what we hear or see.

We head back to the principles of traditionalist conservatism, and today's conservative principle is that we value the countryside and believe the values of rural life are highly prized (sometimes even being romanticized as in pastoral poetry).

Today's conservative principle is that we believe that there is a natural law over us as humans and as a society that speaks to our morality and our rights.

Russell Kirk (1918 - 1994) is regarded as a leading conservative thinker of the 20th century. Today we review his article Ten Conservative Principles as found on the Russell Kirk Center's website at https://kirkcenter.org/conservatism/ten-conservative-principles

With the hardships of 2020, is there reason to be thankful? We look back at the origins of the Thanksgiving tradition and realize that this holiday we celebrate every year was born out of hardship.

The U.S. General Services Administration chief, Emily Murphy, has informed President-elect Joe Biden that the agency has formally ascertained him as the apparent winner of the 2020 presidential election and would move ahead with transition proceedings. Joe Biden, in a November 7 speech, has called on unity, stop the rhetoric, lower the temperature, and call for the healing of the divide of the country. We look at the last 4 years and review just how the Democrats and progressive leftists have been the instigator of much of this rhetoric.

We look back over the conservative principles we discussed from episodes 10 through 19.

Identity politics has become an important aspect of today's political sphere. How should we as conservatives understand this dynamic and respond?

In the first of several episodes covering the Joe Biden campaign policy website, we take a look at the "Gun Safety" policies that Joe Biden is promoting. What is our conservative response?

It would probably be an understatement to say that some are angry at the results of the election. Joe Biden wasn't your candidate. He won. Losing sucks. How can we respond and not allow anger and bitterness to take root?

A letter from John Adams to Massachusetts Militia, 11 October 1798.