Conservatism is not inherently political, but rather concerned chiefly with the American way of life. Politics becomes the arena in which Conservatives reluctantly enter, for sole purpose of preserving that very way of life. Although the civic duty of participation, manifested in military service, and the service of nurses, teachers, first responders, elected officials, border patrol officers and many more, is central, it should be seen as separate from the theater of ‘politics,’ which often can be unpleasant. So, conservatives can and should participate actively in their communities through continued service, and certainly have a host of ways to serve their country without ever being involved politically.

The value system of conservatism certainly calls for one to serve their country and community, but should conservatives be political? Plato said that ‘one of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” Conservatives cannot and do not consider other Americans or humans generally as inferior, regardless of color or creed, so we can take the liberty of amending it to read “by inferior values and policies.” The gift of self-governance was afforded to us through the bloodshed of patriots and in good faith we should carry that gift forth and preserve it. This means – unfortunately for those less tolerant to malarky – that we must participate in politics, locally at least, and federally if possible. If conservatives shrink from the political sphere, so too will our value system evaporate from the uncomfortably thick air of the congressional chamber.

We will disappear.

If we don’t stand up for our values, and exercise our rights as American citizens, our children will lose access to the American dream, and the sacrifice of our nation’s heroes will have been wasted. It doesn’t have to be that dramatic either, it can be as small as voting and sharing with your kids how you voted, who you voted for and why. It can be asking those at your church who they thought about supporting in an election, or if they have read the new policy idea you heard about in your community. It doesn’t have to be divisive and cannot continue to be taboo.

Conservatives don’t follow the new rules.

We talk about religion and politics at the dinner table, and we do it to strengthen our community by confronting the challenges we all face. Its how you lead a family, a community and a nation, from the front and without fear. If you do this in your community in a positive way, others will join you and will become encouraged to participate more. In my own personal life, when I took control of my conservative values, not holding them close like a royal flush, but putting them down on the table as the winning bet, doors opened and curtains were drawn. I made allies in places I thought I couldn’t, where I thought conservatives didn’t exist, and I forged new paths in my life that intentionally left behind the bizarre philosophy of social engineering the left projects across academia, media and the corporate workplace.

You can, and should, follow suit.