"What is a Conservative?" A report on the July District 13 meeting Part I

Last Friday (July 9) I went to a District 13 meeting where politicians from around the state that replaced the regular District 13 meeting where we usually have local leaders speaking. Joe Miller came out along with Cathy Giessel, Jen Bettine, Don Haase, and David Eastman to answer a question that has confounded many people for a while, but dating more over what has happened for the last two years since Sarah Palin shocked the Republicans with her resignation speech a year ago, “What is a conservative?” They started off with a barbeque at 6pm at Kendall Park behind the Regan Building and then the speaking started. The meeting seemed like more of a TeaParty pow-wow than a session to inform the unaware, so I was there as a guest. What would seem to me like platitudes may have been what everyone else already knew answers to and I encourage other Examiners to clarify talking points. There were many families there, and the age range was from newborn babes in arms to octogenarians and possibly older. Since the meeting packed a lot of information, this article has been divided into two portions.

What was emphasized perhaps strongest by Don Hasse was that the Tea Party is not a party filled with hate. He explained that they do not hate the liberals or the moderate Republicans, they love them. They do not hate the poor, they respect their dignity and want to give them jobs. He and his wife have taken in foster kids and loved them as their own family and they indeed have eight children of their own. He asked about how many liberals adopt and do foster care. He spoke of the conservatives being more likely to donate to charities. While it is easy to imagine someone saying a lot of this with drippingly sweet sacharine tones reminiscent of junior high girls speaking bad about one another, Don spoke with sincerity.

Jen Bettine of the Anchorage Conservative Patriots spoke of the founder’s intent of liberty and economic freedoms. She spoke of present day leadership losing its moral compass and explained how a living constitution offers no stability. Like many other speakers would iterate after her, she was not happy with appointed officials (the Supreme Court of the United States) interpreting this foundation of what the USA is about. She received a round of applause when she said that the government that governs least governs best.

Among her points, she said that Conservative Patriots support the right life, liberty and property, the right to bear arms and that they believe that families are the basic unit to society. They are against affirmative action type policies because they feel that public policy should be merit based. They also feel that English should be the official language of the country. They don’t have a problem with families choosing to learn and speak a second language at home as that is their right, but they do want one official language.

For part II, click here.