{"id":4512,"date":"2014-03-12T16:52:05","date_gmt":"2014-03-12T20:52:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/philosophicalfragments\/?p=4512"},"modified":"2014-03-12T16:52:05","modified_gmt":"2014-03-12T20:52:05","slug":"speak-softly-conservatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/philosophicalfragments\/2014\/03\/12\/speak-softly-conservatives\/","title":{"rendered":"Speak Softly, Conservatives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

I\u2019ve become a friend and collaborator with the Values and Capitalism project at the American Enterprise Institute. \u00a0They have a terrific team there, and no team member is more terrific than Tyler Castle, a promising young man who can do some great things with his career. I\u2019m really pleased to offer this guest post from Tyler Castle:<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

Speak Softly, Conservatives<\/h2>\n

By Tyler Castle<\/em><\/p>\n

For the second time in as many weeks, I attended a conference and left with a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I also left with an awesome Ron Swanson T-shirt (featuring this quote<\/a>) \u2014 but that\u2019s beside the point.<\/p>\n

The first was the Christian, politically left-leaning Justice Conference<\/a> in Los Angeles a few weeks ago. This time, however, I sat at the back of a massive ballroom at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). As I walked in, I heard thundering applause as Wayne LaPierre, the CEO of the National Rifle Association, was introduced<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I should perhaps preface this by saying that I come from generations of NRA members and am in full support of Second Amendment rights. But, while I sat and listened to the speech, I imagined myself as a liberal \u2014 or even moderate \u2014 outsider and was honestly taken aback. At one point, LaPierre yelled, \u201cWill the government protect us??\u201d He was answered with a raucous, \u201cNOOOO!!!\u201d from about 5,000 strong.<\/p>\n

LaPierre was followed by Donald Trump,\u00a0who touched<\/a> on various topics of foreign policy, including a defense of his belief<\/a> that the U.S. should have been more forceful about taking control of oil production in Iraq. \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t have been there, but if we\u2019re there, take the oil,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n

The whole event must be a nightmare<\/em> for anyone who seriously cares about conservative PR. As I listened, I was reminded of Theodore Roosevelt\u2019s famous proverb: \u201cSpeak softly and carry a big stick.\u201d Based on my experience at CPAC, it seems conservatives have the stick part down. But speaking softly? Well, not so much.<\/p>\n

Of course, lest I sound too judgmental, I must admit that I am often guilty of this same offense.<\/p>\n

I tend to get carried away in policy debates. \u201cMy logic is undeniable. How could you not see that,\u201d I exasperatingly declare. Though many times \u2014 yet less than I will ever admit \u2014 although my argument is sound, this way of engaging with others is hardly ever effective. It is more likely to alienate and harden the heart of my opponent than actually persuade them of anything.<\/p>\n

This was especially true during a recent conversation that I had about social welfare programs and the minimum wage. I passionately blabbered on and on about how the minimum wage leads to increased unemployment, how welfare programs can disincentivize people from working, and how entitlement spending is out of control.<\/p>\n

Then I stopped\u2026and had an epiphany of sorts: I realized I was speaking to a person, with a story. Just following my monologue, she tearfully shared that her husband suffers from premature Alzheimer\u2019s and is no longer able to work. As a result, she is the sole provider for her family, which now depends on disability payments to get by.<\/p>\n

Whoa. Hearing her story changed everything.<\/em> I backpedalled and apologized for being brash. I kicked myself for being so insensitive and foolish. Moral of the story: speak softly<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Since then, I have come across this lesson in several places. In \u201cThe Brothers Karamazov,\u201d Alyosha (one of the most beautiful characters in all of literature) says, \u201cLet us be, first and above all, kind, then honest\u2026\u201d Kindness comes first \u2014 even before honesty, he convincingly suggests.<\/p>\n

Likewise, the Apostle Paul tells the Ephesians to \u201cspeak the truth in love\u201d (Ephesians 4:15). In other words, the two must be closely intertwined. Without love, truth can be selfish, harsh, and unproductive \u2014 like it was for me in that conversation.<\/p>\n

Over and over again, the God of history calls us to be gentle: \u201cwisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, then gentle\u2026\u201d (James 3:17); \u201cbe gentle, and\u2026show perfect courtesy toward all people\u201d (Titus 3:2); \u201cPut on then, as God\u2019s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience\u2026\u201d (Colossians 3:12).<\/p>\n

And yet, consider this thought-experiment: If you asked someone on the street to describe conservatives with a single adjective, what would you expect to hear? My guess is that you\u2019d need to search for days, weeks or even months before you\u2019d find someone who would answer with \u201cgentleness.\u201d<\/p>\n

I understand that there are times to \u201cfire up the base\u201d and times to \u201cspeak to the world,\u201d but my point remains: No matter how right our position; it\u2019s time to turn down the volume \u2014 at least a notch or two.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Tyler Castle is the program development associate for Values & Capitalism at American Enterprise Institute. He is a graduate of Westmont College and a former John Joy Institute fellow.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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