PREACHING TO THE CHOIR

Until recently, before starting this blog, I published a community newspaper in the Galveston Bay-Clear Lake area of Texas (near the Johnson Space Center) of the same name “Where Did It Go?” It was originally in reference to our youth but evolved into being about our country. In an effort to contribute to the cause, I volunteered to do an occasional article for the Clear Lake Tea Party newsletter and was assigned Immigration. From the beginning I felt that we were sort of wasting time preaching to the choir and not winning any new hearts nor votes. I have recently decided to do something about it.

While researching information on Immigration I came upon Marco Rubio's keynote speech to HLN. I gave a copy to some leftie acquaintances who are very sympathetic to the plight of immigrants and very opposed to “hard-hearted” Republicans. Surprisingly I received a very positive response. As I began to analyze why this response was positive when normally it would automatically be negative from a Republican V-P contender, it dawned on me that these people have been brainwashed and lied to so often that they have actually come to believe all the ugly untruthful things they've been told about Republicans, conservatives and Tea Partiers.

As a long time conservative I still find it hard to understand how people have come to feel so strongly and even viciously about the Tea Party when I've attended at least six rallies and never witnessed the slightest racist, homophobic, women or elderly hating behavior at any time. I have observed only nice, well-behaved citizens concerned about what's happening to their country.

I am sure you have seen Cher's recent tweet, “If ROMNEY gets elected I don’t know if i can breathe same air as Him & his Right Wing Racist Homophobic Women Hating Tea Bagger Masters.” I thought “Don't sugar coat it, Cher. Tell us how you really feel.”

She apologized for the rant while still declaring that that is how she really feels. The key question is,”Why does she feel that way?” The answer to that is because that's what she's been told and she travels in a circle of friends who believe the same thing so she is not likely to hear anything different from them or to seek out the truth for herself.

Unlike Cher, however, Pulitzer winning playwright David Mamet decided against being a “brain-dead liberal” after some friends encouraged him to read some conservative authors like Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek. While it might be difficult to get people to read entire books, I do believe the answer to winning them over is to subtly educate them and introduce them to the truth a little at a time.

Name calling doesn't work. I know. I've tried it. I also don't believe that Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity are going to convert them. Even though I am a fan and believe they mostly speak the truth, their rhetoric and demeanor creates an instant rejection of their ideas and opinions with most liberals.

My conclusion is that the problem with many liberals is ignorance of what conservatism really is. Therefore, our first objective should be to educate them and attempt to win them over to our way of logical thinking through logical, subtle persuasion. Ask questions regarding their beliefs, determine their motivations and then try to respond with intelligent, truthful answers. This isn't about ideology, it's about common sense.

I am starting a series of essays on several of the subjects for which conservatives are criticized; once again will try to define the true objectives of the Tea Party movement and generally try to disseminate the message that we all really mostly care about many of the same things. We also need to convey how and why the conservative means of accomplishing them makes more sense.

Maybe we can influence a few of those people who think they are better, kinder, more compassionate people because of their liberal leanings but don't realize the unintended consequences of voting for liberal politicians whose only real concern for minorities, the poor and the oppressed is to get their vote.