Posted by
13 Grandmas on Thursday, June 11, 2009 12:00:00 AM
My day to day life consists of the most unconservative sets of circumstances I can physically and humanly imagine. Yes, I am a strong believer in conservative principals. Unlike some, my conservative principals are not focused in one specific black and white issue.
Abortion: I do not believe abortion should be easy to get. At best, it is a solution of last resort when the mother is dying and abortion would save her life. I've had a close friend make that decision, as his wife lay dying, and aborting the baby was the only way to save her. I saw his anguish at having to choose between his son and his wife, yet never really doubting the decision he would make. A year later, they did have a successful pregnancy and now have a happy baby boy. Reasons such as these, and not birth control are reasons for allowing a small window of abortion.
I've had plenty of opportunity to flirt with abortion when my daughter gave birth to two children out of wedlock. The first, a now six year old girl with autism, my husband and I are raising as we approach 60 years of age. The second I found an adoptive home for with a family I had known for years. My daughter cannot have any more children, and as the result of a stroke, she is not able to work.
Illegal Aliens: So, from one daughter, I am raising the daughter of an illegal alien from Mexico. As my granddaughter, she is solidly an American citizen. But, she has been told by immegration that she cannot see her father until she is 18 years old. At 18, she can sponsor him in the US. He faithfully adores her and stays in contact with her. He tries to be a good father, but they both got a rocky start. Yes, I have a hard time saying "throw all the illegals out" because doing so breaks up my family. And yet, I believe that Mexicans should come to the US through the same channels anyone else does...and to that end, I paid to have my granddaughter's illegal father fly back to Mexico and find work there. Fortunately, he has found good work there. But, it split the family...I also believe that was wrong and perhaps in the future, it will be better
Medicaid: With the second child, the family is so weighted down with the little guy's medical bills, they cannot make it without government asistance. I believe in private medical care, but my granddaughter, grandson, and daughter are all recipients of the medicaid system. They are destitute and their support is needed. So, I can't rag on "welfare moms" when my own daughter is one, and rightfully so.
Health Insurance: For several years recently, my husband and I tried working for ourselves as independent contractors. The money was quite a bit better. However, two adults over 55 could not get health insurance. I became clear that one of us had to get a job that provided insurance, and that ended us being me. I do think the health insurance industry is broken...I have not heard a viable alternative to either employer paid insurance, or government paid insurance. Surely there is a middle ground that won't stifle innovation.
Homosexuality: It seems to me that homosexuality has been around forever, and just like Jesus says about the poor, we will always have them. Why make life harder for this group of people than others. They contribute well to society. They have their share of perverts, the same as stright people, and they should not be identified by these perverts, any more than stright people. I believe we need to make a comfortable place in society for legal, stable, relationships between people who are going to be together anyway. Conversely, I do believe that homosexuality is an aberration of normal personalities, but we all have different such aberrations. Because I hold to this now outdated psychological definition of homosexualtiy, I belive people can be helped...but I belive it may be a battle to be chosed only under promising circumstances. Homosexuality happens to really set people off. I guess homosexuals are easy marks. I've been an easy mark for other reasons, so I know how easily society gravitates towards the easy mark to persecute righteously.
As a conservative, I have many more thoughts and ideas about current events. I belive in a strong military, free enterprise, freedom of religion and speech, less government, fewer taxes. But the prickly issues that make or brake some folks, I approach with tolerance and the hope that I do the right thing under sometimes bad circumstances.
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