I’m 17 and I’m a Conservative
I’ve grown up my whole life in the state of Michigan, so I’ve seen firsthand what it’s like to struggle. I’ve seen others struggle and I’ve witnessed it in my own family. In the past, I’ve seen my dad become an unemployment statistic several times. Most recently, back in November. This time was the hardest (for me anyways). I was at the age now where I could fully understand the gravity of the situation. I remember my mom telling me after school and I broke down in the hallway, I knew how much it meant to my dad to be working and providing for our family and now all of a sudden he couldn’t. My immediate (selfish) thought was “What are we going to do about Christmas.” Quickly, I realized that this Christmas was going to have to be about what I needed not necessarily about what I wanted. Christmas was scant this year, but I wasn’t disappointed. I learned a valuable lesson during this time: thankfulness. It’s a shame something like my dad losing his job had to happen for me to realize all that God has blessed my family with. Not once was my family without food or shelter. God provided for our needs and he has continued to provide for them.
Since that time my dad has started his own DVD business. I’ve learned from my dad what it means to work hard and never give up. I’ve watched my dad work his tail off to get new customers and stay up until 4am working on a project. Anyone who has started a business knows that the first year is the most difficult, and that has proven to be true for my family. He had a part time job selling power chairs and scooters, but that fell through this summer because of the changes going on with Medicare. My dad continues to search for a part time job until he is confident enough that his business alone can bring in sufficient money for my family.
My mother is doing her share as well, in addition to teaching during the school year she started a part time job doing data entry. She’s been working 3x a week this summer, and will continue to do so during the school year, going from teaching all day to working about 5hrs at night. Life hasn’t been easy, but we were never promised it would be. Not by God, or by government. God tells us life won’t be easy, but with His help we will make it through. Neither the Constitution nor the Declaration of Independence promises the American person success or complete happiness. We may pursue happiness, but whether we end up happy or not depends on how badly we want that happiness.
I’ve attended a private Christian school and a Baptist church my whole life, so I’ve been taught what is right and what is wrong. I’ve been taught to have good morals and obey authority. But I learned a lesson from a teacher this past year that I hope I never forget. The lesson is: regardless of your great upbringing, family background, and the fact that you call yourself a Christian does not mean you are exempt from failure. Whether it be failing God, family or yourself. All of us are liable to becoming the scum of the earth no matter what our history or how wise we think we are. That is why I feel it important as a young person to nail down what I believe and WHO I believe in, God. Every night I pray that I stay on the right path, not just the right spiritual path, but the right path for my life.
Since I am still in high school my life experiences are limited. And it has become increasingly apparent to me that I’m one of the few teens in this country who has a passion for what is happening. I have found it difficult to relate to teens my age, since none of them know what is going on, nor do they care when I try to explain it to them. I usually get a response like “Haha, Obama is the Antichrist” or “Obama’s so stupid”. That is not the point I’m trying to get across when I tell my peers that our freedoms are being taken away from us! I believe I get these responses because first of all, they probably don’t understand what “cap and trade” is or how big of a deal “nationalized healthcare is,” and secondly, they don’t think it will have any direct effect on them and a lot of kids haven’t read important documents like the Constitution so they won’t know when freedoms are being taken away. When talking to my peers I’m not asking them to have the sudden urge to run for political office or sit around watching the news all day. I simply wish they would take the time to educate themselves instead of sitting in front of the computer or Xbox all day.
I also find it hard to relate to some classmates during the school year. I don’t know what I have in me that has wired me so differently, but I cannot for the life of me get some of my classmates to understand why I study, do homework, and actually read the books being assigned to us. Do I think myself any better than these people because I do my homework? Absolutely not. But these are the people I fear will be sitting on the side of the road one day if they don’t get their act together. Perhaps it’s the fact that I’ve seen what great results come from working hard. I wasn’t blessed with a 4.0 brain but I was blessed with a work-ethic. And I think work ethic will get you farther in life than a 4.0 brain or an Ivy League degree. I’m not the kid who sits in class and doesn’t take notes, doesn’t study, then takes the test and gets an A. I’m the kid that sits in class, takes way to many notes, studies her butt of and gets the excitement of seeing that red A on her paper. For me that is more rewarding than the first kid I mentioned. I never have been nor do I want to be who person that gets everything handed to her. I enjoy working hard because I enjoy seeing it pay off.
I believe the above explanations help shape why I’m a conservative. My values, traditions and outlook on life have helped me realize what it is that makes me a conservative versus being a liberal. Being a conservative or liberal is a choice YOU have to make for yourself-you aren’t told what you are-you decide. I think that is something the youth in America is struggling with. In todays society it’s become more and more popular to be a liberal. Suddenly having morals is “uncool”. It’s cooler now to follow the crowd, and become someone you are not. That is why it is imperative that you find out who you are, who you believe in, what you believe in and why, and at a young age.
I’m a conservative because I believe in freedom, the Constitution, Bill of Rights, the power of the individual, freedom, the free market, small government and most of all RESPONSIBILITY. As a conservative I understand what a tremendous blessing it is to be living in the United States, but I also realize the huge responsibility that comes along with it. The Bill of Rights is where we find things that are considered “rights.” But the 10th Amendment reminds me that we don’t all have a right to everything, like healthcare. Healthcare is a responsibility, just like owning a car or house. I believe competition is good for the country and for the American. I’m a soccer player so I’ve got that competitive drive in me and I think if Americans get used to just being handed things our country will become less competitive making more people lazy, which will harm this country greatly.
As a teen what scares me the most about the direction our country is headed is when I hear men well into their 60s-70s say things like “Well, I’m just glad I’m old and won’t be here much longer. It’s the younger ones I fear for. They’ve got a lot coming.” I see where this country is going and I realize that the youths future is being decided for them and that should scare every teenager. I know history and I know “those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” -Edmund Burke. So my message to teens is: KNOW YOUR HISTORY. Educate yourself, learn about the Founding Fathers, learn about paths other countries have gone down and how it’s failed them. Learn about the Constitution. That way you’ll be able to see when someone is taking something away from you that they don’t have the right to do. I’ve got my whole life ahead of me but I’d like to have the ability to make my own decisions in the future.
I’m 17, I’m proud to call myself a conservative, but even more proud call myself an American!
Wow!…If only I had been that intellectual at your age! I was into more than I should have been. God has blessed you with a great family and a superb sense of reason.
This is an awesome post and shows what a great patriot you are. I’m glad to see someone so young have such an admiration and love for this country. With your drive and knowledge, you’ll go places.
I thank you in advance, because I can rest at ease, knowing you will stand for what is right representing my grand children.
SoccerSeal,
Good for you stand firm hold your head HIGH.
When I was young we went through the same things and I remember being on of those with my head in the clouds I had what I needed wanted and the 80″s recession did not seen to hurt my family. I had friends who’s moms had to go to work because their dads lost their jobs I also had friends go to work to support their families.
When I had my 10 year HS reunion do you know who had become the “it” people the accomplished few they were the only that went to work at taco bell or a pizza joint to support their families. The others well I am sure you can see what I mean.
Always stand up for your beliefs stand firm hold your ground and never give them up. Being a conservative in whatever form be is as a Social conservative, or Fiscal just keep in mind why our country is here. Stand up for our values and our constitution and this country will remain the great lady it always has been. She may stumble she may crawl but if we are vigilant she will never fall.
Kindest and Warmest Regards
Sheri
First of all I must applaud you for your excellent writing and ability to express your views in a clear and coherent fashion. I am a little older, Jewish, and a proud liberal but recognize a person with great talent reading your blog. Congratulations on it. As you mention you are younger and have not seen much yet in life. However, I have to agree with you 100% about the importance of a good solid work ethic, something that many young people do not have. I believe that moral responsibility is giving people a fair shot at basic things including health care. As wonderful as America is, according to the World Health Organization we are #37 in terms of quality health care for all. The truth is people that are well off are taken care of in our country; it is those who do not have money who suffer from the greatest loss of life and highest percentage of preventable illnesses. I’m sure you must be thinking I am a bleeding heart liberal but I also agree with you that people should have personal responsibly. Unfortunately, there will always be people who abuse the system. They are lazy and want things handed to them. However, there are also good people who don’t abuse the system who simply do need a little help once in awhile. One of my favorite lines in your blog was when you said, “Health care is a responsibility, just like owning a car or house.” The thing is those who cannot afford a house, rent an apartment, those who cannot afford a car take public transportation. These are alternatives that may not be as nice as a big home and fancy car but at the end of the day are a roof over their heads and a mode of transportation to work. There is no affordable alternative for health care. With sky high premiums and large deductibles the health insurance agencies as they are leave no alternative for people except to suffer. My mother who raised me worked two full time jobs and still needed a little help paying for my health care when I was growing up. It’s wonderful that you have two great hard working loving parents. The problem is not everyone has that. Many college graduates are being dropped from their parent’s insurance coverage, coverage I’m sure you currently enjoy having, and simply do not have the money for health insurance along with their rent, and huge student loan payments. I’m not saying everyone should have a free ride but I do think health care can be better and more accessible for the country. It is my firm belief that America is without the finest country in the world, but it still can learn some things from other countries. To be so proud to say that we cannot possibly learn anything from others countries health care systems is extremely vain and ignorant. Sorry for the ramble and again I really want to thank you for your writing and ideas, whether liberal or conservative we need more young people who use their brains
Thank you very much for your kind words. I respect your differing opinion, however I do not enjoy health care coverage. My family is currently without it. Hearing a nice response from a liberal was encouraging!
jackie….that was a tremendous treatise….and your parents should be very proud of you…..since i went to college with both of them, i know they have done a great job in leading you in the path that you are on……if i may also address matt the liberal, who by the way did make a very gracious post…..i would simply say that the healthcare crisis is perhaps the most misunderstood crisis we have……needless to say there are many issues that have contributed to the problems that matt articulated…..however, one of the simpliest ways to fix the healthcare crises would be to apply the same principles we do to car insurance. think about it….what is the purpose for car insurance? for the most part, it is to cover the catastrophic things that may occur with a car…..i.e….protecting you when you damage another person’s car or property, or person, as well as damaging yourself in similar fashion…..can you imagine what the cost of car insurance would be if the coverage was that anytime there was some repair that needed done on your car, you simply paid your $25 co-pay and the insurance company paid the rest of the new transmission, or the new engine replacment, or the new starter, alternator,etc…….if that was the case, the cost for car insurance would become a “crisis”…….because it would be covering things it was never intended to cover……that is one of our biggest problems with healthcare coverage…….since everyone wants to be able to go to the doctor for every single thing and pay their $25, and then have the insurance pick up the rest, instead of having the coverage that will protect us from the catastrophic events…….just like i don’t file an insurance claim to replace my car battery, if people didn’t need coverage for every doctor visit, then we would see the cost of health insurance reduce dramatically, and thus it would become more affordable. this is such a simple solution that you don’t hear anyone talking about……..you could make much of the same application to homeowners insurance….if my insurance allowed me to make a claim for every minor repair on my home, then you would find that we would have a homeowners insurance “crisis”….the purpose for homeowners insurance, like car insurance, is to protect me from the catastrophic that would devasted me financially…….and that my friends is not how we approach health insurance, and i submit is a major cause for the high cost……finally…yeah…..even with the so called health care crisis, when you factor out the illegal aliens who aren’t covered and the folks who choose not to buy because they are young and invincible, the actual number of people without the coverage is a very small percentage, and so we must ask ourselves, to fix the “exception” why would we destroy the rule??????? there are numerous things we can do to make health coverage more affordable, but totally throwing the baby out with the bath water is certainly not the answer!!!! keep on keeping on jackie.
Young lady ,you are a diamond in the rough! For every one 17 yr old that has your patriotic spirit & your knowledgeable life there is 100 (conservative estimate) 17 yr olds that couldn’t give a flying crap about anything.ma
Kiddo, I’m as proud of you as I am of my own kids. Your parents should be proud, and I hope they (and you)realize that they have done an excellent job of raising a true AMERICAN. This is a trying time for America, and it gives me so much confidence knowing that there are young people like you who are willing to stand up for what we stand for and were founded on. We are Hoosiers just south of you in Michigan – I have four kids in their 20′s who, I am proud to say, are conservative, activists, and proud of it. I truly believe that “fly-over” country will save America, sometimes it feels like we are the last bastion of what America stands for.
Don’t stop what you are doing – it will be a tough fight, but we can do it!
Thank you.