March 21, 2000
Liberals often say that conservatives have no compassion. This is entirely incorrect. Conservatives just choose to show their compassion in more direct but less conspicuous ways.
Liberals show compassion by bringing the plight of the less fortunate before the government. Here they plead for handouts for those who have suffered in life. Liberals are constantly creating government bureaucracies that get charged with taking money from those who have and distributing it to those who have not. Of course, these bureaucracies take their cut in the process.
Liberals like to think and act globally. The problem here is that its hard to see the people from outer space. Its often hard to lay out a general solution to a problem when that problem is affected by local conditions. The large organizations necessary to keep track of these endeavors require many layers of management which does nothing for those whom the organization is trying to help. This actually becomes counter-productive since these time consuming positions become paying jobs which tap resources that could have gone to help someone.
Of course, since these bureaucrocies require money to run, taxes must go up. If people pay more in taxes, they have less money to spend on other things. As a result, more families end up with two wage earners just to foot the tax bill. The implications of this for the American family are fodder for another article...
Conservatives would rather help their fellow man than ask someone else to do it for them. You'll find conservatives giving at church to support local shelters and food banks. They'll be helping out at the soup kitchen or visiting inmates. While at the prison, they will work towards making the inmates aware of their duties in society so that they can truly be useful and responsible citizens when they are released.
I remember reading an article in the local paper about Somerset County's welfare program. Out of $6.1 million taken in from taxes, $1 million was distributed to needy families. That's just better than 16%. Guess who got the rest?
My church had a special offering one Sunday for a needy family that had hit hard times. Every last penny of that offering went directly to that family. Also, people in the church followed up with the family to make sure the money was spent properly and that this family was working to avoid similar problems in the future. The welfare system can't do that.
There have been other families in the church whose major bread-winners had lost their jobs. Others in the church helped out by providing an occassional meal. But more importantly, those families were helped out with job offers and referrals which would help them get back on their own feet.
Conservatives think and act locally. They look for and try to solve problems in their own communities and let other communities look out for themselves. Its a lot easier to see the extent of the problem when its in your own backyard. Its also easier to find a way to solve it when you know what local resources are at your disposal.