Why You Should Out Yourself As A Conservative – The Federalist

Our kids extracurricular activity was at a location not near anyones house. It was also a long one, clocking in at two hours. While theoretically the parents could have gone home after dropping off the kids and returned to pick them up, a husband and wife had a better idea: Why dont we go grab a beer and some queso at the Mexican restaurant just a few blocks away?

While wed interacted a handful of times, wed never hung out as adults. It had always been as parents, which meant our impromptu gathering involved normal getting-to-know-you pleasantries. When it was my turn to answer the question about what I do, I thought for a moment and admitted Im currently between things when it comes to daytime employment, adding, Plus, Im publicly a right-wing nut job, which likely doesnt help me in the current climate.

I wasnt sure how theyd respond, as many of us who work, or in my case worked, in more stereotypical corporate environments have learned to keep our mouths shut. Theres a prevailing sentiment amongst right thinking (which isnt to say right politically) people that everyone they interact with thinks just like them. The deplorables are elsewhere. So, they say things they consider unobjectionable and we let them go, not wanting to risk cancellation.

At this juncture, I must add that I was not canceled from my previous job, sadly, as that may have been helpful to me. Theres no such thing as bad publicity, right? Maybe next time.

Nor was I canceled at the Mexican joint. Instead, it was as if Id just given the secret handshake, Id spoken the password, Id unlocked the message with my Little Orphan Annie decoder ring. Turns out, despite assumptions, and we all know the thing about assumptions, we were in the trust tree, able to speak freely. And we did, up until we returned to the facility just in time to retrieve our kids.

Theres a reason we start by not speaking freely, of course, and its mostly because the internet ruins things. People spout off in ways they wouldnt otherwise. Theres a very low risk theyre going to get slugged in the mouth through their screen. Opinions crystallize in excessive directions, like defunding the police or suggesting parents dont have a say in their kids educations or that boys and girls are interchangeable.

Add to that that social media, especially Twitter, has a huge bias toward left-wingers, and it seems like our numbers are smaller than they are. It skews our perception about what sorts of opinions people actually hold.

Now, I have no idea who these parents voted for or what party theyre registered with. It wasnt a purity test moment that any of us passed. Nor am I suggesting we limit ourselves to ideological bubbles based on which team were rooting against. (There are people who actually like one of the parties, but for the most part, we just dislike one of them less than we dislike the other. As to people who actually like politicians, Ive got a Reagan quip for you, but you probably wouldnt laugh because of who said it.)

The conversation that followed me outing myself was mostly about things that we as parents are concerned with, whether it be female role models the media tries to push or Covid policies. Suffice it to say, no one at the table ever had an Im With Her sticker or wants kids in masks.

Ive also had such conversations with those who dislike Republicans more, though those tended to lean more toward confession than philosophical discussion. Apparently, Im a safe space for progressives in which they can admit their heterodox opinions.

But life is not the internet, as my experience shows, and we should all be clamoring for more of these real-life conversations, ones that require us to be honest about what we believe. Well, most of what we believe. Its probably best not to lead with things like If were talking equity, how come the average person doesnt have a tank or even a rocket launcher since the government does?

Thats obviously just something I made up and not a real opinion I hold, by the way. We can discuss it more, though, after a few more trips to the cantina.

In my case, as a contributor to this online publication, I sometimes assume that Im more of a known quantity. In terms of job applications, thats likely true as The Federalist is at the top of my rsum. Id rather be blackballed by closed-minded organizations than quietly be a mercenary for one that loudly wants to make the country my kids will inherit worse. As Im just one man, this will have no effect, but also it really isnt hard to Google me, so being upfront is a time-saver.

But most people you encounter, whether its at the annual HOA meeting or through your kids extracurricular activities, arent going to Google you on a whim. If they do, you should probably avoid them regardless of what you agree on or what they were able to find. Which isnt to say you should turn your politics into your personality. Too many people do that already.

We do need to stop censoring ourselves, though. We cant be afraid to admit what we believe, especially when a surprising amount of people privately agree with us. Because the sooner we all reclaim our voices, loudly and proudly, the better off well be as a people.

And if anyone gives you grief for doing so, for entertaining wrongthink, just tell them youre living your truth. Theyre not allowed to argue with that.

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Why You Should Out Yourself As A Conservative - The Federalist