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By: Steve Deace | February 22, 2017


This column is not about Milo, although his star going supernova certainly inspired its timing. It’s about us.

Over the past couple of decades, it’s become painfully obvious that despite all the books we’ve sold and conferences we’ve sold out, most Americans still cannot define what “conservatism” actually is. This is why we fall for the likes of provocateurs with troubled souls (Milo) or flat-out charlatans (Trump) provided they produce anti-Left click bait. Conservatism is merely defined by opposition to the Left these days, simply because conservatism itself is undefined these days.

Case in point, I was on CSPAN for an hour prior to the election, and an articulate and intelligent caller said he’d never heard someone talk like me before about the issues facing the country. So he asked me why I’m a conservative.

Here is the answer I gave him:

I’m a conservative because I believe in conserving things. Those things that have proven throughout history to be what’s best for the human condition this side of eternity. Those things which are based in the ‘Laws of Nature and Nature’s God’ as our founding document puts it. The Declaration of Independence, which is the mission statement for America. And these things are what’s best for all of us regardless of race, gender, or ethnicity, because we’re all made in the image of the same God — from whom our rights come


If you grabbed 10 self-proclaimed conservatives at CPAC this weekend and asked them to define conservatism, would you get basically the same definition (specific wording aside)?

You may not even get a definition at all in some cases. You’d get a list of principles or issue preferences instead. But don’t we have to know what a word actually means before we can correctly use it in a sentence?

And now we’re even putting modifiers in front of the word: Christian conservative, social conservative, fiscal conservative, libertarian conservative, etc. As if it’s possible to conserve some things that are good for people while not conserving the others.

Like we can have limited government without a moral people capable of self-control. Or we can have a moral people capable of self-control, while also having a big government deciding right and wrong for us by incentivizing certain behaviors over others.

Conservatism is not a smorgasbord with an a la carte menu, where we can pick and choose the things we like and then indulge away. It’s an all-encompassing worldview that sees history holistically, because people are holistic as well. We are body, mind, and soul — not naturalistic accidents or a random set of impulses.

Now, this is usually where those who disagree with me while calling themselves conservatives bristle and respond with something like this, “Where do you get off imposing your definition of conservatism on the rest of us?”

If that’s you, you’re proving my point. I didn’t list a priority of issues or principles in giving my definition, but acknowledged there is absolute and transcendent truth out there I have to humble myself before and abide by. For it will be true even if I don’t, and when you break the natural law it ends up breaking you…

…That doesn’t mean someone else can’t word it better or more completely than I have clumsily attempted to articulate here. But the essence of the definition doesn’t change because it cannot. Any more than someone may define gravity better and more completely than Newton did, but the essence of gravity itself remains the same. For such truths are predefined for us; it’s simply up to us to discover them…

 …Therefore, it is healthy and productive for our movement to debate and discuss with one another the most prudent way to apply what we believe. On such matters, reasonable and principled people may disagree and do so vehemently, even.

But what is not healthy or productive for our movement is to not agree on what we believe or to not even know. In fact, if that’s where we are, then we’re really not a movement at all.

– See more at:

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In Steve Deace’s article he restricts himself to ONLY defining what Conservatism means as a world-view, he admittedly and deliberately did NOT list any of the Core, Foundational Conservative Principles and Values/Views that are Conservatism…the remainder of this article will do just that.

I will NOT posit my opinion, though I will and do agree with it, I will post directly from:

  1. America’s Founding Fathers and Founding Documents.
  2. Dictionary and Encyclopedic definitions of Conservatism and it’s Principles, Values and Views.

Like Steve Deace said, you can argue with my wording but the essence, the core, is still true whether I, you, or NO ONE believes them at all. Truth will always be truth.  



The Congress shall have the power
  • 2. To borrow money on the credit of the United States:
  • 3. To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes:
  • 5. To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures:
  • 6. To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States:
  • 7. To establish post-offices and post-roads:
  • 9. To constitute tribunals inferior to the supreme court:
  • 12. To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years:
  • 13. To provide and maintain a navy:


Provision as to migration or importation of certain persons. Habeas Corpus, Bills of attainder, etc. Taxes, how apportioned. No export duty. No commercial preference. Money, how drawn from Treasury, etc. No titular nobility. Officers not top receive presents, etc.

  • 1. The migration or importation of such persons as any of the states now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the year 1808, but a tax or duty may be imposed on such importations, not exceeding 10 dollars for each person.
  • 3. No bill of attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed.
  • 4. [No capitation, or other direct tax shall be laid unless in proportion to the census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.] Altered by 16th Amendment , a Marxist attack by The Democrat Party in 1913.
  • 5. No tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported from any state.
  • 6. No preference shall be given by any regulation of commerce or revenue to the ports of one state over those of another: nor shall vessels bound to, or from one state, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay duties in another.
  • 8. No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no person holding any office or profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.
NOTICE, NO mention of the Department of Education, the EPA, The Federal Reserve, the Income Tax, Big Government Micro-management, nor the so-called “right” to murder the unborn, nor mention of any “right” for ANYONE to redefine marriage and family. We will look further into this as we go along.



    The Congress, whenever two-thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this constitution, or on the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress: Provided, that no amendment which may be made prior to the year 1808, shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.







We Will look closer at the 1st eleven Amendments later, along with the 14th Amendment and The Declaration of Independence shortly.

Kentucky’s Resolution 1:




Kentucky Resolution 2.

The Virginia Resolution.






Amendment I


  1. This directly references and restricts CONGRESS; The States and The People CAN freely express, display and celebrate their Christian faith, regardless of denomination, however they freely decide, and ON public lands.
  2. ALL The Federal and State Building of the time had Bible Scripture, Biblical references, and/or Biblical depictions on and/or in them,
  3. 27 of the 56 Founding Fathers that signed our Declaration of Independence, and the 41 that signed our Constitution were seminary educated Ministers, many were ORDAINED Ministers of the various Christian denominations of the day.
  4. One of the FIRST acts of the VERY FIRST CONGRESS was to purchase and distribute 20,000 BIBLES that were destroyed in the Revolutionary War…WITH TAX DOLLARS.
  5. Also the FIRST CONGRESS established and funded WITH TAX DOLLARS The American Bible and Tract Society.
  6. Also the FIRST CONGRESS established Christian Chaplains for each branch of the military, and each branch of government.
  7. The MOST QUOTED source of all America’s Founders was The Bible, Blackstone and Burke were also cited, and they both were Christian men and based their views and writings upon Biblical Principles.
  8. There is NO Constitutional “wall of separation between church and state”. Christians do NOT have less, NOR inferior/2nd class rights. As already noted America’s Founders were deeply Christian men, and 98% of all American’s were professing AND practicing Christians.
  9. We can FREELY discuss sports, the weather, favorite dishes, family, politics and religion ANYWHERE AT ANY TIME IN AMERICA.


Amendment II


  1.  The Founders equated The People to and with the Militia.
  2. There was to be NO law to infringe upon the rights of the citizenry to own, possess and carry a gun at ANY time, ANY where, of ANY type. There is NO Constitutional gun law except and apart from the 2nd Amendment.

Amendment III


  1. The Founders KNEW that Liberty was insolubly linked to the Rule of Law, NOT the rule of man/men.
  2. Hence the adage “Your right to swing your fist stops at my nose.” America’s Founders, the ones who wrote the 1st Amendment, ALSO held sacred property rights. There was NO sense whatsoever of shared property, government ownership/control of property, or communism anywhere in Constitutional Law as America’s Founders wrote, and gave it to us.

Amendment IV


  1. America’s Founders KNEW that Liberty and one’s Rights meant nothing IF the government could violate a person’s PROPERTY for any, i.e. unreasonable reason.
  2. Hence America’s Founders codified into Constitutional Law the God-given,sacred right to private property. “A man’s home/property was HIS castle.” it was once believed and adhered to.

Amendment V


  1. NO person will held for any capital or infamous crime UNLESS a presentment/indictment from a grand jury is duly issued, and there has been proper evidence, 2 or more witnesses affirming the same crime, beforehand.
  2. NO ONE shall ever be charged for the SAME crime more than once.
  3. America’s Founders listed LIFE as a right here, in the Declaration of Independence and in the 14th Amendment FIRST, recognising LIFE as a God-given, right that they THREE TIMES mentioned, and TWICE codify into CONSTITUTIONAL LAW. NO WHERE is the so-called “right to an abortion” ever even hinted at.
  4. ALL charges MUST be made via the Due Process of LAW; America’s Founders established the Rule of Law to safe-guard Liberties and Rights, NOT a rule of man/men to rule as authoritarian tyrants and despots.
  5. And NO PRIVATE property could EVER be taken without JUST compensation, and the due process of LAW. And there is NO “right” to take ANYONE’S PRIVATE property to give to another private entity for private use, (as Trump has violated many times).

Amendment VI


  1. The Rule of Law was/IS Supreme. NO man or group was exempted, NONE preferred.
  2. There is to be NO favoritism, NO bigotry, NO pre-judging, NO “secret” charges, evidence, NOR “secret” witnesses.
  3. It was to be SPEEDY AND PUBLIC; NOT done in a darkened corner and to be drawn out with the accused languishing in jail indefinitely. This eliminates the years and decades long waits for execution that is common today among the those found guilty of capital crimes.

Amendment VII



  1. Once a trial by jury reached a verdict then that person/crime, and NONE of the facts of the case can reexamined in ANY other court EXCEPT via the rules of COMMON Law.
  2. This appertains to all non-capital crimes.
  3. There was NOT to be a set of laws for different classes of people, it was The COMMON Law for ALL people.

Amendment VIII


  1. The punishment was to meet, NOT exceed the crime.
  2. Hence, NO ONE was to be executed for theft, fraud, or other non-capital offences.
  3. The death penalty was NOT and is NOT “cruel and unusual”. See also HERE.

Amendment IX


  1. The Bill of Rights was NOT to be considered “all the rights and Liberties” of The People, and States.
  2. The Founders believed passionately that Liberty and Rights were LOCAL, i.e. FIRST with The People, Then with The States, LASTLY, with the Federal government.
  3. There was to be NO ruling, NO dispatching of rights and liberties, from a far off by a unknowing, uncaring people.

Amendment X


  1. NO law, NO ruling from the federal government was to ever supersede The Constitution.
  2. NO law, NO ruling from the federal government was to ever restrict, redefine nor prohibit God-given, Constitutionally-Codified Law, rights and liberties.
  3. The Founders established the preeminence of law, rights, and liberties being LOCAL, ie FIRST with The People, Then with The States, LASTLY with the federal government.
  4. America’s Founders did NOT want NOR establish a rule of man/a group from a far off.
  5. They established the Rule of Law that began LOCALLY, individually.
  6. Government, first local, then State, then federal ONLY got involved to resolve disputes.

Amendment XI


  1. This prevented a State or federal court from ruling on a decision in another State.
  2. It also prohibited the federal courts from becoming involved in a decision between States.
  3. ONLY upon appeal via the due process of law would a federal court become involved in deciding Stated cases.

The entirety of America’s Founding Fathers world-view was:

  1. As little government as possible.
  2. As much individual Liberty and Rights as possible.
  3. One person’s rights and liberties was NEVER to transgress against or trespass upon another’s rights and liberties.
  4. There was NO prohibition against the FREE and PUBLIC display, expression and celebration of the Christian faith.
  5. There was NO prohibition against a FREE press, regardless of their political and/or religious views.
  6. The deciding of any conflict, and trying and punishment of any crime was to begin local and ONLY move up upon appeal, when allowed, and then via the due process of law.
  7. We were founded upon the rule of LawNOT the rule of man/ a group.
  8. America’s Founders CLEARLY saw LIFE as a God-given right that they thrice codified into Law.




A conservative is someone who rises above his personal self-interest and promotes moral and economic values beneficial to all. A conservative is willing to learn and advocate the insights of economics and the logic of the Bible for the benefit of everyone else. A conservative favors conserving value by not giving handouts to anyone who does not really need them.

A conservative typically adheres to principles of personal responsibility, moral values, and limited government, agreeing with George Washington‘s Farewell Address that “religion and morality are indispensable supports” to political prosperity.[1][2]

Phil Crane, the leading conservative congressman in the House from 1969 to 2005, urged people to make the world a better place than where they found it, and quoted frequently from the Bible in pursuit of that goal.[3]

Former President Ronald Reagan said, “The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom.”[4]



Specifically, conservatives seek or support:





NOT ONE word that I posted is “my own invented and peculiar defining and view of” Conservatism.

I searched. studied, researched and compiled what is commonly known, knowable and accepted as Conservatism. 

To be true, yes, there has been a splintering of what some call Conservatism into factions and groups, this is a divide and conquer tactic predominantly employed by The Left and by the ignorant or some self-seeking motive.

BUT when one traditionally claims Conservatism, THIS is it.  

NO longer is the excuse of “NO Common understanding and defining of Conservatism” a valid excuse for claiming to BE Conservative and yet NOT embrace Conservative Principles, and to actually share and hold to Liberal Principles and Values. THIS forever removes that as the phoney cloak to operate as a “Liberal-in-Conservative-Clothing”, such as Milo Yianopolous, Steve Bannon, Steve Mnuchin, Rex Tillerson, and Donald Trump, and a host of other Alt-Right/Fascists and R.I.N.O.s .

ANYONE who from this point on says “I didn’t know/ There is NO Common understanding of what Conservatism is” is either a liar or stupid. And neither should be listened to or followed.  


 -Rev. Larry Wallenmeyer.

