"Why I'm A Black Republican"

I found this little gem while looking around on Pinterest.  This video presents Black Republicans/conservatives explaining why they are Republican/conservative.  For anyone who wants to understand, this vid is a short 'n' sweet intro into the "oxymoron" of being Black and Right.  You'll find it enlightening.

What's In A Name?

Time can change things.

I recently changed the name of this blog from "Sinistra's Bane" to "Heart of the Wise".  I made the change to reflect a shift in some of my ideological views.  My basic outlook hasn't changed but certain things have.  Consequently, I feel I need to change what I call myself, something more important than what to call a blog that hardly anyone reads.  *ss*

For nearly 20 years I've proudly called myself a conservative but now that label doesn't suit me anymore.  Why not?  It seems too...limiting, too..."small".  It doesn't encompass the whole of what I now believe.

I know that conservatives and conservatism have long been divided into 3 main "denominations":  social conservatives, who favor traditional, Bible-base morality and values; foreign policy conservatives, who favor a strong defense and an America active on the world stage; and fiscal/tea party conservatives, who're committed to lower taxes, balanced budgets, and limited, constitutional government.  I've always considered myself to be all of the above but it was social issues, especially abortion, that helped me to define myself as "conservative".  While fiscal and foreign policy are very important to me, social issues top my list of concerns.  And that's why I have a problem with continuing to call myself a conservative.

For that last decade or so, and especially since Obama was first elected in 2008, the conservative movement has, in my view, distanced itself from social issues and become focused on fiscal issues.  This shift was especially apparent in the 2010 midterm and 2012 presidential elections, with seemingly all major strategists on the right calling for conservative/Republican candidates to ignore social issues and focus on the economy.  That strategy failed in 2012 and many conservatives seemed to conclude that traditionalist positions on social issues, especially the hot button issue of gay marriage, is what did Mitt Romney in.

Now we have more and more conservatives supporting gay marriage and worse, expressing the same disdain for traditionalists that liberals do.  It's like they can't get to a microphone or tv camera fast enough to reveal their new found "enlightenment" and "tolerance".  Such caving to the left is disgusting to me.  I always thought that the conservative movement would be a place where traditionalists would be accepted, respected, understood, and heard.  I was wrong.

The left has convinced a huge swath of Americans, particularly the young, that opposition to gay marriage is diabolical bigotry and "extremism".  Rather than resist this lie too many conservatives have taken the easy way out and have caved.  But it's all to win elections, I've heard.  Younger voters, so the argument goes, won't give conservative/Republican candidates a chance so long as they're seen as "intolerant".  They must moderate or censor their social views so they can win and stop Obama from imposing his nanny state and bankrupting the country, the only cause that really matters.  Yeah, right.  That logic is just an excuse for cowardice in the face of leftism.

If liberals managed to convince enough Americans that advocating smaller government and lower taxes was "extremism" and hate, would conservatives change their stand on those issues, too?  Would they suddenly discover a "conservative" case for big government and sky high taxes as they've found a "conservative" case for gay marriage?  Methinks they would.

That's why I can no longer and will no longer call myself a conservative.

This is hard for me.  I feel adrift.  As I said at the beginning of this post, I've been calling myself a conservative for nearly 20 years.  Now, I don't know what to call myself.  There doesn't seem to be a single term that encompasses the whole of my socio-political belief system.  Maybe I'll have to cobble together a new, multiple word term for my worldview.  Or maybe I'll have to resurrect some long forgotten label from history.  Or maybe you, my readers, have some good ideas.  All I'm certain of right now is that "conservative" is out.  I'm still on the right, though, the side of the wise.  That, my friends, will never change.  Of that you can be sure.

New Name, New Direction

Welcome to "Heart Of The Wise!"

Hello blogging friends!  As you can see I've changed the name of my blog (and will most likely be changing the url soon, too.)  No longer will my humble spot on the world wide web be known as Sinistra's Bane.  Now, my blog will be called, "Heart Of The Wise".

Why the change?

As you learned from my previous post I'm in a blogging malaise.  I feel a strong need to take my blog in a new direction to reflect the philosophical shifts taking place within myself.  Don't worry; I'm NOT switching sides; if anything, I'm becoming more conservative.  The changes occurring in me are less about what I believe and more about how to advance those beliefs in society, how to best defeat the Left.  I'm increasingly beginning to believe that the conservative movement in general and the Republican party in particular are actually proponents of what I call liberalism lite.  They want to take America to the same destination as the Left, just at a slower pace.  You can see it when conservatives discuss the nation's problems.  Despite their constant call for smaller government they are, for the most part, devoid of solutions that don't involve government and/or politics.  That's not me anymore, and I don't want that to be my blog anymore.  Hence, the name change.

Sinistra's Bane, like its predecessor, PoorGrrl Zone, served me well but it's time to move on.  I need a new name for a "new" blog that will, I hope, help take conservatives from whiners to winners.  That can be done but it's going to take a tremendous effort, a movement wide mobilization equal to the military mobilization of WWII.  My hope is that "Heart Of The Wise" be a part of that and maybe even help to create it.

Our country has MANY problems.  The solutions bandied about by (most) conservatives/Republicans aren't working anymore, if they ever did.  We need new ideas, fresh takes on old ones, and the wisdom to know the difference.  My fervent hope is that my little place on the worldwide web will contribute to such a change on the right side, the side of the wise.

The Year of No Fear

It's here.  2013.

Today, Tuesday, January 1st begins a new year for the world and, for us Americans, the start of the second term for the Obama regime, and a regime it is.

In the final days of 2012 the Obama Supreme Court ruled against the religious freedom of the Green family, owners of the crafts store Hobby Lobby (and the office supply store Mardel's).  The Greens, devout, pro-life Christians, sought a religious exemption to Obamacare's HHS mandate which requires businesses to pay for contraception, including abortion-inducing drugs, in their employee insurance packages.  They also sought an injunction against the enforcement of the mandate pending their court fight.  Obama Supreme Court judge Sotomayor refused, meaning Hobby Lobby has to comply with the mandate or face millions of dollars in fines.  The Greens are standing their ground even though it could put them out of business.  They are committed to their faith.  I greatly admire the Green family but they are only the beginning of the Obama regime's assault on our constitutional freedoms.  Gun owners are next.

In the wake of the horrific massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary school Obama and his leftist cohorts are gearing up to go after our Second Amendment rights.  Of course, they're claiming they just want "common sense" gun control to "protect the children", but we know what that really means.  Obama's victory in the presidential election last November has emboldened him and we can expect him to start revealing just how far left he really is.  We conservatives have to man up and stop him.

For far too long we conservatives have been afraid, yes, afraid to stand up for our values and beliefs to the fullest.  We have lived in abject terror of being branded racist, sexist, extremist, bigoted, intolerant, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, etc. by the left.  Those words have been their most potent weapons against us, wielded from their pulpits in academia, media, and entertainment.  The result has been that we conservatives have too often censored ourselves, modified our beliefs, hemmed and hawed, or did nothing when the times screamed for our action.  NO MORE!!!!

We are in a new year, 2013.  It will be the year of no fear.  There is too much at stake for us to be controlled by fear.  Yes, leftists will continue to war against us with all the ferocity that they always have, counting on our fear to paralyze us at crucial moments.  That must not happen.  The Obama regime is poised to transform our beloved nation into a government dominated, socialist, welfare state.  That will be the death of America.  We cannot let that happen!  Courage must now be the blood that flows through our veins.  Courage and cunning and absolute faith that we are RIGHT.  Nothing else, nothing less will save our great Republic.  Lock and load, conservatives; it's time to fight!

Happy New Year.  NO FEAR!!!!

A Looming Victory For Republicans and Conservatives

After the hugely disappointing loss to Obama for the White House on November 6, Republicans and conservatives got news today which shows that capturing the presidency isn't the be-all-and-end-all of political power in the United States.

Today, Michigan's Republican-dominated House of Representatives approved bills that will make that state the 24th right-to-work state in the country.  Republican Governor Rick Snyder is poised to sign the bills into law within a few days, but union protestors are out in force trying to stop him, so it's not a done deal, yet.  However, the shrillness, meanness, and irrationality of the protestors--they compared right-to-work supporters to Nazis and Japanese militarists--reveal desperation induced by impending defeat.  So, yes, I think Republicans and conservatives can go ahead and celebrate.

The results of the presidential election caused much angst among conservatives and Republicans.  Lost in the grieving was the reality that the GOP controls not only the majority of the nation's governorships but also the majority of the state legislators.  That is power.  And Republicans in Michigan have used that power to give freedom of choice to the workers of that state.

Celebrate good times!  Come on!

Be BOLD!

Tomorrow the first of the three presidential debates if scheduled to take place.  Due to my early work schedule I will miss most of it so I can get much needed sleep.  I'm not sure that's a bad thing.  I suspect this debate is going to be a nail biter and, frankly, I'm not sure I'm up for the suspense.  Of course, I want Romney to win but I fear he won't.  I fear that Romney will play it safe and be "civil" to Obama so as not to appear racist, elitist, heartless, out of touch, and whatever else liberals' accuse him of being.  I think that would be a big mistake.  If I could offer Mitt Romney one piece of advice about tomorrow's debate it would be:  BE BOLD!!!!

Be bold in the defense of free markets.  Be bold in the defense of limited government.  Be bold in the defense of patriotism.  Be bold in the defense of border security.  Be bold in the defense of religious freedom.  Be bold in the defense of traditional marriage.  Be bold in the defense of the unborn.  In short, be bold in the defense of the conservative principles Romney claims to believe in. 

Romney should debate to win and convert, not to impress the unimpressible.  He must not water down his beliefs in order to curry favor with liberals or appear "nice".  A bold, spirited, and unapologetic defense of conservative principles is the best way to sway doubters to the cause as well as rally the choir.  Smart, aggressive, unashamed, conservatism.  It's about time for that.  Mr. Romney, it's about to BE BOLD!!!

School Daze

It's that time of year.

The end of August and the beginning of September is when America's children head back to school.  Most of these children will be going to public schools, including most children of conservatives.  And that bothers me. 

For decades conservatives have sounded the alarm about the academic failings and leftist social engineering plaguing public education.  And for decades conservative parents have kept sending their children to public schools.  Why?  If public schools have become liberalism's madrassas, as Ann Coulter called them, why do conservative parents blithely entrust their children to them?  What kind of sense does that make?

Yes, I understand that the main alternatives to public education, homeschooling and private schools, aren't feasible for some conservative parents.  But I suspect that a lot of conservatives could home school or private school their kids but just aren't willing to make the sacrifices that would entail.  They'd rather take the easier and cheaper way out and send little Johnny to public school, convincing themselves that he'll somehow escape the secular progressive indoctrination endemic there.  He won't.

Polls show that the majority of younger Americans, those 30 and under, support Obama, while the majority of older Americans don't.  Why this generation gap?  Public schools.  They have been shockingly successful at inculcating the PC, liberal, big government ideology into their captive audience of children.  Conservatives know this, yet they keep giving public schools their kids.  It makes me wonder how committed conservatives really are to the survival of their own principles.

I believe that if conservatives want their beliefs to not only survive but flourish then private education must become the norm for them.   Public schools are hostile to conservative ideals and that isn't going to change any time soon.  Entrusting their children to public education when they don't absolutely have to is, in my view, a failure of conservative parenting.  It's like Abraham Lincoln said.  The political philosophy in the classroom in one generation becomes the political philosophy of the country in the next generation.  Conservatives can stop that "prophecy" dead in its tracks.  Don't send little Johnny to the little red school house.  Teach him at home or use private education.  Aren't conservative ideals worth the sacrifice?

It's Really That Simple

Many conservatives realize the growing power of the Hispanic vote and are almost desperate to grab an election-winning piece of it.  To do that some are opining that the GOP needs to move to the left on the issue of illegal immigration.  No, they don't say it like that but that's what it boils down to.  The GOP needs to ditch its "hardline", claim these conservatives, and soften its message.  I say no.  The GOP's position on illegal immigration is not hardline, nor is it complicated.  In fact, it's quite simple; we just need a simple, direct explanation of it to Hispanics and anyone else who leans left on this issue.  And I think I have it.

Imagine America is a store.  Imagine you're the store owner.  Like any businessman you love paying customers but hate shoplifters.  Paying customers build your business up, so you welcome them.  Shoplifters, on the other hand, tear your business down so you do anything you can to keep them out of your store.  And no one would blame you for that.  It's the same with immigration.  Come to America legally, learn our language, respect our culture, i.e., be a "paying customer", and you'll be welcomed.  Come to America illegally, impose your language on us, disrespect our culture, i.e., be a "shoplifter", and you will NOT be welcomed, nor should you expect to be.  And that goes for foreign nationals of every race.  That's the Republican position on immigration.  It's really that simple.

What objection can you raise to that, liberals?

The God of Change

While listening to The Michael Medved Show the other day Medved played a soundbite from famous actor Robert Redford. Redford opined--and I'm paraphrasing--that change was good, accepting change was open-minded, and opposing change was narrow-minded. He was implying that liberals are enlightened for embracing change and conservatives are backwards for not.

Since I heard Redford's remark I've been pondering it, and I think he did hit on a key difference between liberals and conservatives.

Liberals are infatuated with change. You could even say they worship it. This can be seen in Obama's campaign slogan of "Hope and Change". Liberals adore Obama in large part because he promised to "fundamentally transform", i.e. change, America. Liberals accept, as a matter of faith, that change is always good and progressive, therefore they look at conservatives as knuckle-dragging Neanderthals for so often opposing change. But that is where conservatives differ from liberals.

Conservative, in fact, do NOT oppose change, certainly not change in and of itself. But unlike liberals, we don't worship change and don't adhere to the dogma that change is always good. A faithful and loving husband who starts cheating on and abusing his wife has certainly changed, but not for the better. Conservative keep that example, or a variation of it, in mind when people began talking about changing things, especially changing what Ann Coulter called the "load bearing walls" of moral values.

When change is proposed conservatives usually respond skeptically. We ask probing questions about the motives of the proponents of change. We ask probing questions about the possible unintended consequences of the proposed change and, if seeing no benefit from the change that justifies risking the unintended consequences, we will usually oppose the change. That doesn't mean, however, that we oppose solving the problem(s) the change was meant to address. On the contrary, after rejecting the originally proposed change, we'll often offer our own version, one that is usually less sweeping in scope than the original.

Conservatives aren't bigoted or narrow-minded. Our skepticism about change is rooted in the healthy and venerable desire to preserve what's best in our civilization, for the good of all. So, conservatives accept change, but only after thoroughly vetting it, or at least trying very hard to. We don't mindlessly embrace change out of the false belief that all change is good. Unlike as with liberals, change is not our god. Maybe one day Robert Redford will understand that.

Ann Coulter On Conservative Gays

I love Ann Coulter. I know she often has a, shall we say, forceful tone but that's why I love her. Coulter is a fiscally and socially conservative, Christian woman and she's unapologetic and fearless about it. So, when I heard that Coulter had endorsed GOProud, a conservative gay group, participating in CPAC this year, I was surprised and a little concerned. I've always thought of support for the gay agenda as a social Left cause at odds with conservatism's traditionalism. When Coulter endorsed the Republican gay group I was afraid she'd turned against the fight for traditional values. I needn't have worried and the video below shows why.



I agree almost completely with Ann in this video. She says better than I ever could how you can be a "friend of the gays" without jumping on the gay agenda bandwagon. I've always felt that was true, but sometimes I get demoralized by the constant shrieks of "Homophobe!" flung at traditional people. Coulter shows how stupid it is to brand belief in traditional marriage, for instance, as homophobic. This is just what I needed to hear. I'm a social conservative. I believe in traditional values, especially traditional marriage. And I don't hate gay people. Thank you, Ann Coulter, for explaining that.

Mile Wide, Inch Deep?

Conservatives are very excited right now. Midterm elections are less than two months away and all indicators predict that they'll be a tsunami for conservative Republican candidates. People like Sean Hannity and Dick Morris seem to think that not only will the elections be a huge victory for conservatives, but that they'll prove that conservatism is the real belief system of the American people. I understand why some conservative commentators think that, but I'm not so sure.

Things are looking great for conservatives and their philosophy but I don't think that means Americans have really adopted conservatism on principle. Remember, the people who now call themselves conservative by a margin of 2 to 1, put the Democrats in control of Congress in 2006 and voted in Obama in 2008. Were they conservative then? I don't think so. So what's going on now? To use a famous phrase, it's the economy, stupid!

Americans are fearful and fuming over the economy, especially unemployment which has hovered dangerously close to 10% for months. On top of that, they see a government that's spending money recklessly, driving up the deficit, and ramming through new entitlement programs in total disregard for the opinions of the people. In anger Americans are lashing out at the party that's in power, which happens to be the Democrats. But again, that doesn't mean Americans are truly embracing conservatism. If you doubt that ask yourself this: would the Tea Party movement exist if the stimulus had worked and unemployment had remained below 8% as Obama promised? No. The Tea Party movement, like Obama's falling poll numbers, is a reaction to the failure of Obama's policies. Had those policies succeeded even half as well as expected most Americans would now be enamored of big government and unconcerned about deficit spending. The voting public is fickle; that's just the way it is.

Americans' current shift to the right may not be grounded entirely in principle but it does present a golden opportunity for committed conservatives. Because of Obama's failures Americans are open to right-wing ideas. They're willing to listen to people who're offering free market, small government solutions to the nation's problems. If committed conservatives intelligently engage Americans in this crucial moment then conservatism may very well become the principled view of most citizens. Otherwise, Americans' "conversion" to conservatism may prove to be mile wide but inch deep.

18 Seconds Of Truth

So the Tea Party is a racist movement, huh? This brief interview of Darryl Postell, a black man at a Tea Party rally, by white NBC reporter Kelly O'Donnell puts the kibosh on that liberal myth. The question that O'Donnell asks Mr. Postell exposes her liberal bias. Mr. Postell's answer is awesome. Listen and cheer!

Are You Liberal Or Conservative?

This is a cool post I found on the Independent Thinkers Lounge blog. I asked the author, Southern Sage, if I could put this post here and he said yes. Have a look see and find out if you're a liberal or a conservative.

Are You Liberal Or Conservatie?

The truest comparison I have ever seen!

If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns,he wants all guns outlawed.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat.
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.

If a conservative sees a foreign threat, he thinks about how to defeat his enemy.
A liberal wonders how to surrender gracefully and still look good.

If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.

If a black or Hispanic man is conservative, he sees himself as independently successful. His liberal counterpart sees himself as a victim in need of government protection.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal wonders who's going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced. (Unless it's a foreign religion, of course!)

Ifa conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.

If a conservative slips and falls in a store, he gets up, laughs and is embarrassed.
If a liberal slips and falls, he grabs his neck, moans like he's in labor and then sues.

If a conservative reads this, he'll send it to his friends and they'll have a good laugh. A liberal won't delete it because he's "offended", he will cry and piss himself and lay in the fetal position in his own urine for the rest of the day because that's what liberals do.

Hope all's well!

Originally published on Independent Thinkers Lounge on 6-10-'09

Pretty cool post, huh? Thanks for letting me use it, Southern Sage! And as you all know, I'm conservative. YEAH!!!!

The Littlest Patriot

I first saw this video on my friend Robert's blog and was blown away by this little girl. Her name is Sarah, she's 11 years old, and she delivers a speech that shows more knowledge of and love for America and our heritage than anything you hear from the politicians in Washington, especially the liberal ones. I was heartened by little Sarah. She shows that the youth of this country are not complelely sold out to "hip" and "cool" leftie ideas. Sarah shows that there are young Americans who actually love this country and aren't afraid to say so. I want all of you to give a listen to this brave little patriot. If we're lucky, if God chooses to smile on us, Sarah and many more like her will be the future of America. And amen to that!

The Next Charlton Heston?

It's hard to believe this man is Angelina Jolie's father. Actor Jon Voight delivered a powerful speech against Barack Obama at last night's GOP Senate/House Fundraising Dinner. Bucking Hollyweird's Obama cult, Voight courageously let both barrels fly at Dear Leader, positioning himself to become the standard bearer of resolute conservatism on the hostile Left Coast. I don't know if Jon Voight is the next Charlton Heston, but if being Charlton Heston was a political office Voight would have my vote! People, lend this man your ear and know that there IS sanity and patriotism in Tinseltown.