Lady Libertas would like to to take today, Easter Sunday and a Holy Week for the Jews, to reflect on American Exceptionalism and what it means to us in the weeks and months ahead.

There is no doubt that the past year has been a long one and alot of work.  The American People – tired of the expansion of overreach of the Federal Government with bailouts and policies causing taxpayer fatigue – came together in the past year under the Tea Party and other Conservative Activist banners like 912.

“Taxed Enough Already” is the modern day emanation of “Taxation with Representation”.  We are Americans first – we want limited government, lower taxes and the freedom of opportunity.  We like to wave flags, remember our Heritage as a Nation and honor Our Founders.

We believe that the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation are some of the most radical documents in the world.  We also believe that these documents have formed the base of the most Exceptional country in the world and they are as relevant today as when they were written.

Freedom is in our DNA.  Americans escaped the rule of a Tyrant to come to this dangerously beautiful land.

For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world.  John Winthrop, “City Upon a Hill” speech, 1630

Americans built one of the most unique political systems in the world.  We fought the Empire of Great Britain and survived a Revolution to win.  To Win and To Succeed and become a Beacon of Freedom for the entire world.

What then is the American, this new man?…He is an American, who, leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds. He has become an American by being received in the broad lap of our great Alma Mater. Here individuals of all races are melted into a new race of man, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world. Americans are the western pilgrims. (from “Letter III,” 1782 by J. Hector St. John De Crevecoeur)

Americans have formed a culture that makes us Unique and identifiable as “American” everywhere we go.  The Values and Spirit upon which America were founded still hold firm today.

• “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Declaration of Independence
• “In a free and republican government, you cannot restrain the voice of the multitude; every man will speak as he thinks, or more properly without thinking.” George Washington
• “I consider the people who constitute a society or a nation as the source of all authority in that nation.” Thomas Jefferson

We are Americans not Socialists.  We have an American Work Ethic not a Socialist work ethic.

We are unique and NOT WILLING to be absorbed into the cattle call of Socialism.  Nor are we willing to have our  government violate the Will of the People to advance an agenda that undermines American values and the American way of life “for our own good”.

Freedom is the Freedom of Opportunity.  The opportunity to make what you will of your life and success to be as you define it and achieve it.

Freedom is not the government mandating a redistribution of wealth, introducing Socialist ideals and expanding government into every nook and cranny of the American people’s lives.

Today, we break bread with our families and friends.  We meditate on Renewal and Resurrection.  We rally because tomorrow is a New Day … Our Day.

Leave behind the accusations and lies of the past week.  Forge your anger into chains of determination.

We are Americans.  We are Exceptional.  We are here to take our country back.

Lady Libertas wishes all of you a Blessed Easter Sunday and Holy Week.  Hug your families tight – We fight for them!

Spread Liberty.  Remember in November.  We begin again!

See the land, her Easter keeping,
Rises as her Maker rose.
Seeds, so long in darkness sleeping,
Burst at last from winter snows.
Earth with heaven above rejoices…  ~Charles Kingsley

The major  mistake that Liberals and Democrats have made about the Tea Party Movement is that Conservatives are all Republicans and avid George W. Bush supporters.  The truth is that the Tea Party Movement is comprised of individuals from all over the political spectrum and, although the majority are Conservatives, many are libertarians, independents and recovering liberals.  Tea Party participants are united in the belief that the government,  which includes Democrats AND Republicans, has not been working for the People.  Our elected officials have become bloated on power and corruption and are out of touch with the common People.

We believe that Washington has been broken for a long time and it needs to be fixed.  Conservatives, in particular, have been silent for far too long and we are done being silent.

Republicans have not represented Conservatives since the Reagan years and it has been that long at least that Liberals have confused Conservatives with Republicans.  Let’s clear that bit of misinformation up right now – A Lady Libertas Reality Check if you will…why should the White House have all the fun with Reality Checks!?

What is the definition of Conservatism?

• a political or theological orientation advocating the preservation of the best in society and opposing radical changes (Princeton)
• Conservatism is a political and social term from the Latin verb conservare meaning to save or preserve. As the name suggests it usually indicates support for tradition and traditional values (wikipedia)
• A political philosophy that favors maintaining limited government involvement with respect to religious, cultural, or nationally defined beliefs and customs (wiktionary)
• A political ideology that embraces individual opportunity, public order, and traditional values. Over the past few decades, more Americans have self-identified as conservative than as liberal, with moderates sometimes surpassing conservatives in number. (source)

Ronald Reagan described a core Conservative belief in his first Inaugural address:

Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. From time to time we’ve been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people. Well, if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else?

Recognition of the responsibility of the individual and the call for the least amount of government intervention is fundamental to Conservatives.  As Barry Goldwater said:

“Every man, for his individual good and for the good of his society, is responsible for his own development. The choices that govern his life are choices he must make: they cannot be made by any other human being, or by a collectivity of human beings.”

Through our system of checks and balances and by spreading out power over the three branches, the Fed may be checked (in most cases) from running rampant.  As well, Conservatives hold the Tenth Amendment to be a cornerstone when analyzing the reach of the Federal government and how much it may interfere in our daily lives; “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

The belief in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights as the defining documents for governance of the United States is also very important to Conservatives.  We do not take loose interpretation lightly.  Those words are the foundation of the United States of America and carry as much weight today and are as efficacious today as they were when written.  The Constitution should prevent an abuse of power or the encroachment of Socialism and Communism – the enemies within.  In these current times, under the leadership of Obama, we will find out the fortitude of our Constitution and I have faith that it will hold strong.

Another defining principle of Conservatism is the belief that Freedom is more important and different than Equality.  The Right will always prefer freedom over equality and the Left will prefer equality over freedom.  Conservatives do not hold to a perfect, or in many cases with the Left, a manufactured equality as we believe in Exceptionalism.  Because Conservatives prize Individualism, the fact that some individuals are endowed with greater skills, intelligence or abilities and that those individuals will benefit all of us as a whole is Exceptionalism and reality.  Conservatives deplore the Liberal tendency to drag everyone down to the lowest common denominator rather than allowing exceptionalism to be an inspiration of achievement.  As John Stuart Mill stated: “Genius can only breathe in an atmosphere of freedom.”

While most Conservatives are Hawks, it is a hawkishness born from the stance that the United States of America is not going to be threatened or bullied by any other country.  If we are attacked, we will attack back and finish the fight; however, Conservatives stand for less foreign entanglement.  We do not care if we are popular in the world – we want to protect and support our interests and allies.  For that reason, many Conservatives disagreed with the war in Iraq.  Lady Libertas disagrees with the war for several reasons, the primary being that war is not politically correct.  If we go to war, then we need to do just that and not fight a war based upon attempts to win an internation popularity contest.  If American boots are on the ground, then we are there to win and get out, not play peacekeepers or engineers to rebuild Iraq.  Lady Libertas’ solution to Afghanistan?  Nuke the poppy fields, remove the financial backbone of the Taliban and walk away.  Conservatives are frequently accused of being warmongers but the fact is, we simply believe in waging war properly and getting out and not to spread Global Democracy .  Bush broke all of those rules and Obama has not only followed in his footsteps but has increased our engagement in Afghanistan which is now resulting in the four deadliest months in eight years.

Bush spat in the face of Conservative beliefs of balanced budgets and fiscal prudence and Obama has not only continued to fly that flag but he has hoisted about a trillion of his own little flags.  Conservatives support commerce, trade and business, in particular small business which provides 70% of new job growth in the United States every year.  We all know about Haliburton and their no-bid government contracts but Liberals wave this flag as if it is a tenet of Conservative politics.  It is a tenet of “politics as usual” PERIOD.  Every politician in Washington DC seems to adhere to this tenet – Democrat and Republicans alike.  Under this same “politics as usual” tenet, we have also watched the reveal on tax evasion by high-ranking Democrats and members of Obama’s administration.  And Lady Libertas is here to say, NONE OF IT IS OK.

Bush increased the agriculture subsidies, destroying our farms and setting us up for corporate welfare programs while setting the stage for more costly corporate welfare in the form of TARP and bailouts.  Conservatives say – let them fail and we do not want our tax money paying for bonuses, retirement programs, unions and all other manner of nonsense.  We are all struggling to support our families, save money for retirement and succeed – paying for the bailout of companies that deserve to go bankrupt does not help anyone except to set up dangerous precedents of crony capitalism.  As well, the idea of our government owning portions of any private businesses is anathema to Conservatives -  More dangerous precedents that lead to increased deficits and rampant government expansion.

And the Patriot Act?  Well, you could hear Conservative heads exploding throughout the country.  For those of us who want less government involvement, inviting them into our homes via wiretaps was a bit much.  Now before the Libs jump on the Bash Bush Bus again, let me remind you that Obama has continued the Patriot Act.  It has been a long and cold wait at the Hope and Change Bus Stop.

Under the Tea Party Movement, the Conservative movement has coalesced and charged forward.  We have had it. Notice to the Liberals – keep the Bush blaming to yourselves, because many of us blame him as well.  And now that we have found our voices, we are not going to be silent anymore.  Rush Limbaugh has the top radio show in the country and Glenn Beck has the #3 show.  Fox News eviscerates the other cable news outlets.  We marched on Washington DC by the hundreds of thousands.  And we are not just putting Liberals on notice, we are putting ALL POLITICIANS OF BOTH PARTIES ON NOTICE – 2010 IS COMING & WE WANT OUR COUNTRY BACK!

Lady Libertas is a Conservative.  Not a Republican.  And you may consider this your Conservative Reality Check.