Why I am a Conservative—Part 1
COMMON SENSE: Reared Irish-Catholic in the suburbs of Boston, with JFK being my hero, I was destined to be a lifelong Democrat. As a child, I loved being an American and was never ashamed of who we were. Never even considering such a thing, I embraced a Liberal worldview, with the lifestyle of a libertine.
That lasted until I got a girl in trouble at UGA. Once I did, I was forced to grow up years before I was ready to. Seeking God’s direction to do what was right, through the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, I invited the Lord to come into my life in my late teens.
Barry Goldwater came with Him. Back then, it was a package deal. Most Americans don’t even know who Goldwater is anymore but, along with William F. Buckley Jr., he was the seminal leader in the Conservative movement that changed the beliefs of millions, including my second political hero, Ronald Reagan.
This meant that, by the time I was twenty, being forced to accept the responsibilities of adulthood, I had became grounded theologically and politically. I knew right from wrong, learning the difference the hard way.
I knew who I was and who I wanted to be, but events occurred that altered my future. There was a split in my Campus Crusade family that shook my foundation dramatically. Along with my friends, I dropped out. Focusing on finishing college, now married with small children, I ended up teaching Russian history and political science at North Springs High School for a couple of years. That was okay, but my heart longed for more, much more.
When my faction of old Campus Crusaders recongregated in Santa Barbara, California, casting caution to the wind, I quit my teaching job, packed up our household belongings, hooked the family car to the back of a U-Haul truck and headed west without a job. Everybody thought I was crazy for doing this, but I didn’t care.
I drove through the desert with no air conditioning. It was easy. I was twenty-six, enthusiastic and immortal. Arriving in Isla Vista, a Santa Barbara suburb that was dominated by Leftist Radicals, I set up an apartment for my family. Flying my wife and kids out to join me, with all of my friends being around me, I was back in the saddle again, doing what I wanted to do, changing the world for Christ.
Everything was in synch, and I was extremely happy. This lasted for about a year-and-a-half. Once again, my foundation was shaken by a life-altering split in our group, with both sides morphing into “cults of personality.” The devastation from it shook everybody involved. None were spared. I went from being happy to being extremely miserable.
My wife became so depressed that she laid on the couch every day for two years, doing nothing. She stopped being a mother and being my romantic partner. That was tough. Not knowing what else to do, with three girls who got hungry every day, along with being the provider, I became their cook and caretaker. I did everything but, still young and energetic, it was easier than you might think.
My wife eventually got off the couch, attended nursing school and became an R.N., but she never returned to being an active mother or being a normal wife. Not yet thirty, that was really difficult.
Finally, having had enough of California and my cultish experience, I was tired of being led by those who took me off course. So, I applied to graduate school at Baylor University. I wanted to know things for myself. Being accepted, I was given a full scholarship. The degree I sought was in the Department of Church and State. At the time, only eleven people had received such a degree.
With a full Ryder truck, this time heading east, I went through the desert once again in June. Arriving in Waco, Texas, with $10,000 in my pocket, my goal was to buy a house and unload the truck within the ten days of my rental. Nobody thought I could do such a thing. They thought the idea was preposterous, but I did it. Still young and energetic, I was eager to learn, eager to know things for myself. A new chapter in my life was about to begin, and I embraced it fully.