Monday, August 15, 2011

Why I am not a conservative #94850

Michele Bachmann has signed a pledge in which she promises to ban pornography (good luck) and oppose gay marriage. Yet at the same time, Bachmann often goes on in her speeches about freedom. Well, dear, it is one or the other. Freedom only for people who do and say things that you like is not really freedom at all.

Bachmann's confusion is hardly hers alone. American conservatism is knee-deep in people who either simply don't like freedom, despite constantly saying they do, or else support it in theory but run in fear from its exercise. In my view, freedom is not just good in theory, it is good because society is much richer due to the lives and labors of those who actually exercise their freedom, rather than just talking about it.

1 comment:

David Barker said...

To be fair, the pledge is so poorly written that it isn't clear what the signers want to do about pornography. See http://www.thefamilyleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/themarriagevow.final_.7.7.111.pdf

The pledge calls for "Humane protection of women and the innocent fruit of conjugal intimacy – our next generation of American children –
from human trafficking, sexual slavery, seduction into promiscuity, and all forms of pornography and prostitution,
infanticide, abortion and other types of coercion or stolen innocence.
17" The footnote only discusses child pornography. What does "humane protection" from pornography mean? More regulation? A ban? Who knows? ABC jumps to the conclusion that the pledge calls for a ban. Visits to the Iowa State Fair are probably disorienting to East Coast reporters, so they should take a few deep breaths before making pronouncements.