Kyle Borland

Storyteller and strategist at the intersections of cannabis, branding & communications, justice, and Urbanism.

It's not conservative – it's un-American

I feel like every day there’s a new viral video of a takedown of conservative ideology. It’s not even overly liberal, it’s that conservatives have become so overwhelmingly wrong across the board. Their foundation is broken. Their ideals and policies, rather than being focused on limited government, are focused on disenfranchisement of other people.

How can you live in our country and be a traditional conservative right now? How can you look me in the eyes and say your policies have worked? Our education system is shambles because Chambers of Commerce, the school boards they own and the DOE have turned education into test taking sweat shops. Our children are popping out babies like it’s going out of style and your answer is that they pray about it. The babies that are already here aren’t properly taken care of because your policies have defunded the program’s (welfare, schools, Medicaid, food stamps, etc.) meant to help the poor. You claim to be the most “Christian,” only to turn around to tell the neediest among us that they’re on their own. That it’s their fault and they deserve their situation. You live in an America where you worship individualism and scoff at the idea of the community until it’s convenient.

America didn’t become the greatest country in the world because of conservative policies and beliefs. America was revered because even though we were individuals our society thrived. Our society cared about each other. Well, our society is much bigger than it used to be. Actually, our society has always been like this. Conservatives are just being forced to acknowledge and listen to the groups they want to go away.

We have to choose to care about each other. No, you don’t know that person and, yes, that person over there may be taking drugs…but what do you want for? When you leave your comfortable job and return home to your happy life where you post about wanting for nothing…why are you against helping others achieve the same thing? You did it on your own? That’s awesome (and precious you think that) but when has it ever been wrong to put the blessings you’ve received back into the world?

I think the idea of “limited government” is. antiquated and ignorant. It’s not possible to do. Society’s our too large, too global for governments to ever truly shrink down. Conservatives need to focus on creating “efficient government.” Conservative ideology is needed to make America what she is. We need that grounding force to make sure when we make a decision, we’re making the right one. Friction creates diamonds after all. But the conservatives we have today have no interest in creating diamonds. They’re obstructionists. They believe their values are vitally more important than everyone else in America. That the rest of us should abide by their rules.

That’s not only not conservative — it’s un-American.

As Mama Ru said, “Social media is a choice, not mandatory.”