TFP to CPAC: Don’t Betray Principles
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) has long been the premier event of the conservative movement. It has served to unite conservatives focused on major issues and causes by standing firm on core principles that define the movement and guarantee its success.This year, however, this unity has been threatened. Many of the most active and important participants in this conference have decided not to come because of the continued participation of the homosexual activist organization GOProud as a sponsor and planner of the event.
As young Americans, TFP Student Action members call upon CPAC participants to help save the future ofour conservative movement by insisting that these departures from objective moral law stop.
The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) joins with these organizations in protest against this departure from principle. In the name of countless conservative youth on American campuses, TFP Student Action members have decided to stay at CPAC so that we might present these considerations.
Creating Artificial Divisions
Indeed, the GOProud controversy only brings disadvantages to the conservative cause. The liberal media have been quick to exploit the controversy by trying to turn it into a civil war, major schism or deep fissure inside the conservative movement.
The reality is, of course, very different. GOProud is hardly a major player in the conservative movement. Contrary to so many of the organizations who have long attended CPAC, the two-year-old GOProud group has no projection among conservatives, negligible membership and a demographically insignificant voter base. 1
In fact, the group’s only notoriety seems to be its capacity to create artificial controversy and be the cause of great frustration and distress among the massive ranks of social conservatives who have delivered electoral victory after victory to the conservative cause over the past three decades.
All Conservatives Must Unite Around Principles
However, the worst effect of this controversy is not the appearance of disunity. It is the illusion that we can disassociate sound fiscal policy from a morally grounded society.
While we recognize the right of all conservatives to concentrate on those fields of action that they feel called to defend, we strongly disagree with those who would exclude moral issues from the conservative core values.
If we do this, we betray our heritage and principles since it is a moral America that has been the mainstay of our movement and the foundation of our nation. From its birth, America has always defended a higher moral law so well expressed by the Ten Commandments. We abandon this at our peril.
Making the Links
If we compromise on moral values we not only betray our principles, but we put ourselves on the road of adopting the very socialist ideas that we have so effectively opposed.
Socialism is a utopian ideology that seeks to eliminate human selfishness by destroying individual freedom, the family, private property and free enterprise. Socialists believe they can eliminate injustice by transferring responsibilities from individuals and families to the State. However, their efforts are tantamount to killing the patient to cure his illness.
By suppressing individual responsibility, socialism destroys the foundation for all morality. Thus, for socialism there are no absolute truths or objective morals that establish standards of conduct that apply to everyone, everywhere, and always. Everything evolves, including right and wrong, good and evil. There is no place for the Ten Commandments, neither in the private mind nor in the public square.
Whether favored by liberals or conservatives, a free love agenda which includes homosexuality and same-sex “marriage” is completely consistent with socialist thought since it deprives sexual acts of their consequences and natural end. Indeed, wherever socialists have taken power, they have always pushed ahead legislation to promote the homosexual lifestyle and same sex “marriage.” By its own principles, socialism will always lead to a morally-depraved and fiscally irresponsible society. Likewise such a society will always end up in socialism.
Call to Save Our Future
By including those who reject an objective moral law into our conservative union, we work against ourselves since we invite into our ranks those whose lack of principles will destroy the very principles for which we fight.
As young Americans, TFP Student Action members call upon CPAC participants to help save the future of our conservative movement by insisting that these departures from objective moral law stop. We must stand firm in face of the overwhelming pressure of liberal media to force a homosexual agenda upon us. We must not waver in face of a public opinion that seeks to silence us on campus, in the public square and even inside our own movement.
We must not make the mistake of looking to please man but rather to please God in our decisions. Indeed, there are those who think that by being “inclusive” or “politically correct” we might gain public sympathy. These win neither the approval of the left nor the support of the right but rather the scorn of all since no one respects those who abandon their principles and let fall their standards.
As Catholics, we call upon God and Our Lady to assist us in standing firm. Against all expectation, the conservative movement has progressed much over the decades. With the blessings of God, we can hope for yet more victories.