A Conservative's Agenda

A candidate for a legislative seat for a mostly rural Missouri House district has a campaign flyer that outlines a conservative agenda, stating that the candidate "believes in and will strongly defend:
• Religious freedom
• Right to life
• Landowner's rights
• Right to keep and bear arms
• Improving education
• Voter photo ID
• Marriage between one man and one woman
• Protecting our borders”

The list is partly a recitation of right-wing code words for conservative issues.
"Religious freedom" refers to permitting religious expression in public venues, for example: teaching creationism in public schools science classes, organized prayer in public schools, and including bible study in public school curriculum. So much for the time honored constitutional principle of the separation of church and state which was instituted to preserve religious freedom from governmental authority and interference.
"Right to life" is the anti-abortion stance that denies females the right to continue a pregnancy. It sounds good, protecting life and all that, but when push comes to shove, abortion will never be outlawed. All the pro-life crew can do is encumber the legal system with endless cases to establish the constitutional limits of abortion controls, which means more government oversight of the individual, a non-conservative stance.
"Landowner's rights" means laws supporting NIMBYs, restrictions on purposes for the use of eminent domain powers by local governments, and weakening of land use planning powers of local governments, all legislative actions that move power to centralized government control and away from local control, again a non-conservative stance.
“Right to keep and bear arms” does not represent support for state guard units or an interest in national defense, rather it means preserving recently enacted laws for so-called conceal-carry permits. Conceal-carry is a fact in the state this party seeks a legislative seat and no movement to repeal it exists, so why make it an issue? It’s a signal that the candidate will support their issues, no matter how misguided.
“Improving education” is an idea with which nobody disagrees. But, it is an idea that only takes wing when the financial resources are committed to achieve improvements. This is probably a hollow sentiment, when it comes to voting for the tax measures to secure the needed money and to approving the necessary fiscal appropriations. The coded message in this phrase, since finance is not mentioned, is that the candidate will support vouchers for use in private or parochial schools.
“Voter photo ID” is a Republican issue that I believe Democrats oppose mainly because it’s a GOP idea, and one that seems to be settled in Missouri.. I am not opposed to requiring positive voter identification. I’d even support embedded micro-chips, if the process was painless. After all voter fraud must be fought at all costs, wherever it exists. Only thing is, I doubt that voter fraud is an issue that rural folks have much concern about or a venue where it is likely to occur. I guess this issue is there just to expand the list and add conservative credibility.
“Marriage between one man and one woman” is another issue that’s already been decided for the legal jurisdiction and one that is totally beyond legislative action at this point. So, why include it? Again, all I can figure is that it is to express empathy for the voter by another “I’m just like you” statement.
“Protecting our borders” is note a code word, it’s a national defense imperative. And, neither is it a responsibility of the legislative body in which office is sought. Unless that is, there’s a stealth movement to set up state line border posts and check the nationality status of interstate travelers, something that is a constitutional power granted only to Congress. Again, it’s another effort at empathy with the voter.

The campaign brochure is right on the mark for GOP candidates. Even the Republican gubernatorial candidates, according to the KC Star June 23, 2008, front page article, advocate the same issues: “They promise to crack down on illegal immigrants, to support tax cuts and to defend the right to carry concealed weapons. They have argued about which of them opposes abortion more.” Isn’t being a conservative a wonderful mind-set? Out of the 4 issues cited above, only one has any chance of happening and it’s the one that undercuts the ability of government to deal with the other significant issues facing the state. The sad thing is that some people will actually make their ballot decisions based on the trumped up tripe that typifies these testy candidates.