While weighing the pros and cons of starting a conservative blog,  I wondered what I could contribute to the discussion.  Did I have any new ideas and insights to share?  There are after all, plenty of groups such as the Tea Party and the Heritage Foundation espousing the virtues of conservatism already. Would my lone voice get lost in the chorus?  Another consideration was the possibility of being labeled an “extremist” or “rabble rouser” by those opposed to personal liberty.   Did I want to call attention to myself in a country where ideas like conservatism and libertarianism are often met with derision by a certain segment of the population, incited by the mainstream media’s often disingenuous portrayal of conservatives?  Would it not be easier to just attend the occasional demonstration or rally where I could remain safely anonymous carrying my sign or banner and going home afterwards?  Would it not be enough for example, to march with my fellow vets on Washington D.C. to protest the unjustifiably closed WWII Memorial by a cynical administration out to score a political point?  Even with this rising tide of conservatism and patriotism, there is still a continuing assault on our liberty, and we are barely holding the line.

As a whole, we conservatives too often find ourselves unable to articulate the virtues of conservatism in a consistent, coherent enough way as to resonate with the populace and counter the liberals’ double talk, half-truths and misleading rhetoric.  I have grown increasingly disappointed with some of the conservatives on TV and radio who seem unable to effectively debate their opponents on the left.  They simply come back with their own talking points or talk over their opponent– debate reduced to a verbal tennis match.  Meanwhile, they miss opportunities to dismantle their opponent’s arguments.  Oh if William F. Buckley Jr. were still alive!  I lament. Now, I’m no great orator, nor am I some sort of charismatic leader.  If anything, I consider myself a pretty fair writer. Though it may be a conceit, I think I could hold my own in a debate.  Maybe, just maybe, my contribution to the cause of liberty can be more than just a face in the crowd.  If I can help though my writing just one conservative to win an argument with a liberal/statist sycophant I would consider the whole endeavor worth it.   -JM