Stop calling Donald Trump and his followers “conservative”; it demeans true conservatism

Conservatives are the new liberals.

Let me explain.

Growing up and coming of age in the public square, conservatives were my heroes and role models. I was happy to be one myself.

What did I understand conservatism to be?

Conservatism, as I thought of it, was about five things:

First, the belief that “all [human beings] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Human beings form governments to ensure that human beings in a society can enjoy these rights to the fullest without infringing on the rights of others. The purpose of government is not to give these rights to citizens, but to recognize these rights and to protect and uphold them.

Second, the belief in universal basic standards of justice, morality, and virtue. Human beings may have different deities and sacred texts, but they seem to hold common standards of what is right and wrong. Human beings of all faiths and spiritualities seem to share reverence for the Divine. Human beings of all faiths and spiritualities seem to share a sense of obligation to living “up” to moral standards they believe to be divine in origin.

Third, the belief that human beings are made to reach their fullest potential, on their own and in society, through a relentless pursuit of the truth. Human beings are to analyze, question, and test the facts to arrive at a clearer picture of what is good and true.

Fourth, the belief that the best ideas for persons and society arise from a clear-eyed and honest pursuit of the truth. Therefore, it is vital that every person have access to the free exchange of information and free exercise of thought.

Fifth, the best way to build the future is to conserve the best parts of the past. It is crucial that society recognize and uphold institutions, laws, norms, precedents, and traditions that “got us here,” but always in light of the first four beliefs. Conservatism is about change and growth, but with great care.

These five beliefs take courage, discipline, empathy, humility, and patience. Those things can only grow out of faith, hope, and love.

This is what conservatism means to me.

Holding these five beliefs makes it easy for me to know what conservatism is not.

Conservatism is not acceptance of some facts and rejection of others.

Conservatism is not strict adherence to one creed, dogma, religion, or sect.

Conservatism is not allegiance to a political party or politician.

Conservatism is not closed-mindedness.

Conservatism does not demand agreement.

Conservatism is not “ends justify the means”.

Conservatism is neither reactive nor violent.

Conservatism is not selfish or stingy.

Conservatism does not subject people to “loyalty oaths” or “purity tests.”

Conservatism is not a vehicle for cults of personality to get ahead.

I still consider myself a conservative and that is why I resent the corruption of the word in the mainstream media.

Donald Trump and people who cast themselves in his mold or follow him are not conservatives.

I hope it is clear to you why “conservative” does not fit them.

I would call them “radical partisans” of political and religious dogma that in no way reflect true conservatism.

I would not even call them “extremists,” for that would imply extreme conservatism, which they neither know nor practice. Donald Trump and his tribe are liberals in the most extreme sense of the word. They have rejected and taken violent action against the beliefs that characterize true conservatism.

In other words, Trump and Trump followers are not conservatives; they are anti-*conservative. The choice to divorce themselves from the tenets of conservatism makes them dangerous *liberals.

Sadly, they still self-identify as conservatives and the mainstream media goes along with this misnomer.

Someone might argue that I am being closed-minded toward Trump and his followers and, therefore, not living up to my own definition of conservatism.

But to make a case for that, you would have to show me how Trump and his followers are using facts and reason to arrive at and support ideas that they promote to the public through the art of persuasion. After five years, it is clear that Trump and his followers have no ideas. They do not know how to persuade or reason; they intimidate, shout, and threaten.

If I could pick one word to describe Trump and his followers it would be this one: Lazy. They are simply not willing to do the hard work it takes to be true conservatives. They resort to bravado, noise, and violence because they are not willing to formulate, articulate, and negotiate ideas in public.

That is why they are not conservatives.

What are true conservatives to do now?

Two things:

First, recognize that independence is the spirit of conservatism. When a medium, party, politician, or religious group becomes conservative in name only, it is OK to break free and go in search of truth elsewhere. But the pursuit of truth must come from humility and vulnerability. You are not seeking the truth when you are looking for “facts” to support what you already believe. A real pursuit of truth is a frank and scary analysis of facts that challenge what you prefer to be “true.” Being conservative means being open to change when facts make it clear that change is necessary.

Second, recognize that interdependence is the spirit of conservatism, too. Conservatism is social in nature. Conservatism recognizes that each human being only flourishes when he or she is in community with other human beings. The pursuit of truth, like the pursuit of happiness, is a social pursuit. A genuine pursuit of the truth leads conservatives to form relationships that challenge their points of view. If we truly care about the flourishing of human beings and society, we must make our pursuit of truth a rigorous social pursuit. Conservatives, to be truly conservative, need to surround themselves with people who challenge them.

A third thing conservatives should do is stop making excuses and stop pointing fingers. My mom taught me that it doesn’t matter what other people do; I don’t control other people. I control myself. It is scary to “play by the rules” when it seems that others are getting away with breaking the rules. It is frustrating when it feels like other people don’t have to live up to the standard we set for ourselves.

But if conservatism grows out of faith, hope, and love, then we have to have faith, hope, and love! We have to act like those things matter and that they will win in the end. When our faith, hope, and love are true, we have nothing to fear from pursuing the truth.

Stop calling Donald Trump and his followers conservatives; it demeans true conservatives like me.

Onward and upward.

Photo of armed protesters by Anthony Crider.