Yesterday in Ann Arbor a group of eleven dedicated conservatives met at what was the first meeting of the Michigan Conservative Union. While MCU was first established in 1974, the organization slowly dissolved after President Reagan left office. No surprise there. The years between 1989 and 2010 will probably be remembered by all of us as the Conservative Dark Ages, when Republicans who claimed conservative core principles did not act out what they preached during their campaign speeches, leaving a black mark on our movement that will take years to erase.
That is exactly why we need the MCU. Everyone in our little gathering yesterday agreed that our role should be that of education, not politics. It is a fine line, this I understand. However, men much wiser than I have stated that one does not change the political climate by installing a new President or Congress. One changes the political climate by changing the hearts and minds of the populace.
We currently live in a country where almost half the population believes that the federal government is responsible for their health, happiness, and well-being. I cannot overstate the tragedy of that thought process. When a man determines that he no longer controls, nor retains any responsibility, for his own destiny, then we as a society have fallen into a morass of self-inflicted slavery. The willingness to forfeit one decision after another, in small chunks, to a tiny fragment of the population has led to the downfall of countless nations throughout world history, from Rome to Russia. We see even now–in Greece, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, and others–the end effects of a population that has surrendered its freedoms, and now demands its very livelihood from the government that it bankrupted. The fate of America lies along this same path unless a remnant rises up and fights against popular opinion to re-educate the masses about the American idea.
Many articles can spring from that sentence. And they will as we progress. For now, I offer you this place where conservatives can gather and share ideas on a much higher plane than that of the politics of today. We have a daunting task ahead of us. We must teach our fellow Michiganders to love freedom. When every one of us truly embraces freedom, realizing the risks that come with such a great responsibility, then we can return to debating the issues of the day. But until we breech this wall that has divided our nation, any debate is only an exercise in futility.
God bless you, my friends. Until next time.