In early 1992, I heard five words that were to drastically alter the course of my life. H. Ross Perot was on TV. He held up a toilet seat and said “The government paid $700.00 for this toilet seat.” He then stated, “And this is public knowledge.” Huh?
Perot then went on to outline more fascinating nuggets of information I had absolutely no knowledge of. He pulled out charts and graphs and proceeded to inform me of a world of facts to which I had never been exposed.
Having long prided myself on being informed, I decided to educate myself on all this “public knowledge.” What I found appalled and angered me. And changed my life forever.
For the first time in my life, I picked up a National Review magazine and started reading. I moved on to the Washington Times, American Spectator and various other conservative publications I had never been aware of before. The more I read, the angrier I got.
I had always assumed that if something was on TV or in the newspapers, it was correct. I always assumed that our elected officials knew better than I how to address the problems of our nation. I always assumed that my friends’ opinions were more valid and informed than mine. I was 39 years old and just finding out how incredibly naive I was.
Having lived in Los Angeles since my teens, I was never exposed to any other than the liberal point of view. I made the mistake of assuming it was the only valid view, just as millions of other Americans still do.
I had adopted the views of the herd, assuming that since everyone felt that way, it was the right way to feel. Besides, I was too busy living my life to spend the time necessary to form my own views independently of my peers. I had taken the easy way out, accepting and spouting the currently fashionable talking points as my own. And patting myself on the back for being informed and knowledgeable. Ouch.
After reveling in government approved and politically correct self esteem for so many years, the descent into humility was painful. How naive was I to have blindly accepted so many premises without question? How ignorant was I to have advocated certain positions based on face value and cheap sound bites? How stupid was I to have allowed others to manipulate and exploit my ignorance? The answer: Pretty darn stupid.
The anger I felt stemmed from finally realizing that no matter how thin the pancake, there are always two sides. And I had only been exposed to one. That didn’t set right. I felt I had been lied to my whole life. I responded by making it my mission to inform everyone I knew of the astonishing revelations I was finding on a daily basis. That was another big mistake.
I assumed everyone in my world would be just as appalled as I to find that things were not as they seemed. I studied, I amassed facts, I quoted sources, and I lectured. And I got yet another lesson in humility. Instead of applauding my efforts, my family, my friends, my husband and my co-workers sent me to the woodshed.
I soon realized that my facts took a back seat to their emotions. I found that the conservative point of view had been judged invalid years before I became aware of it. The case was already closed. Hadn’t I heard?
I persisted. “But how can you dispute these facts?” I railed. I quickly found out. Liberals demolished my factual arguments by demonizing me, thus relieving themselves of the need to entertain or debate any facts that challenged their world view.
Being stubborn as well as stupid, I continued my quest to inform one and all of the error of their way of thinking. With predictable results. Soon, everyone in my world informed me that there must be something wrong with me. Eventually, I started to believe them, and finally decided to keep my opinions to myself.
I tried. For three years, I consciously tried to keep my mouth shut. I tried to go along to get along. I failed. Long story short: I lost my husband. I no longer speak with my feminist mother and my liberal siblings.
Having continued to read voraciously about all things conservative, I was exposed to the role Christianity played in our country’s founding. After further research and soul searching, I eventually became a Christian. Learning to have faith in Christ enabled me to have faith in myself – and faith in my traditional and conservative views.
Eight years after my epiphany, and 33 years after moving to Los Angeles, I sold my home and business. I said good-bye to the few friends and family I still had, and left Los Angeles for good. I knew there had to be a place in the world where I could be myself without ticking everyone off.
After a lot of searching, I finally found it. Its called Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. Here in this little fishing village, I have found peace and happiness. I can identify myself as a conservative without having to go stand in the corner. Here in South Carolina, I am normal. I am also the luckiest of women.
Nancy Morgan is a columnist and news editor for RightBias.com
She lives in South Carolina
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Dan McLaughlin
Neil Stevens
Daniel Horowitz
Excellent diary Nancy and I became a Conservative....
JadedByPolitics (Diary) Friday, October 2nd at 6:46AM EST (link)because of the WEAKNESS of the Democrat party. September 11th 2001 was a defining moment for me. I watched the left immediately come out to beg our President to NOT defend us and within months the patriotism that swelled in my heart when Bush said “they will hear from us” was imprinted forever and will NEVER go away. I have been proven RIGHT in that decision because as I look at the political landscape anybody left of center are WEAK American’s they doubt our ability to WIN and WIN big. They NEVER give our military everything they need and the word to WIN! Obama is proof of the WEAKNESS of the left!
Unified Patriots – How-To:
Activists Taking Action
Winning
bking (Diary) Saturday, October 3rd at 11:55AM EST (link)When you’re dealing with tribal societies that have no sense of national identity, it’s hard to actually win within a reasonable time frame, if at all. We had great success in Europe because Germany, France, etc already had a strong national identity and already were united as a people (and not by region, tribe).
Sadly their self determination will pretty much be to revert to what they had, which isn’t necessarily a big win for us. This is generally why I favor surgical strikes and and the Sun Tzu/George Bush Sr. idea of not getting involved in long expensive conflicts.
Thoughts from a small government not-the-worlds-nanny conservative.
ht tp://boredwhiteguy.blogspot.com/
You are coureageous and committed Nancy
Scope (Diary) Friday, October 2nd at 8:40AM EST (link)and I applaud you for making some really hard choices. I can’t even imagine any conservative sitting by and watching their family and friends vote for a president that promised to “fundementally change the US forever”, and they didn’t even know what he meant by that. My head would have exploded. It sounds as though you are now happy, not just with your new location, but with your new freedom to think and believe and promote what you deem to be right. Thank you for sharing your story.
Can anyone recommend a good conservative subscription?
Tom Anderson (Diary) Friday, October 2nd at 10:43AM EST (link)Nancy,
It was nice to read about your “conversion” process.
All,
In trying to further my own study, I’m trying to find conservative sources that are worth looking in on. Of course, Red State is currently high on the list. I’m familiar with National Review, Weekly Standard and Newsmax.
What I’m wondering is, if you could subscribe to only one conservative source, be it magazine, newspaper, or subscription website, which would it be?
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
- Edmund Burke
Just one?
Joe Rivers (Diary) Friday, October 2nd at 3:30PM EST (link)That’s hardly fair. We’re big kids, we can read many sources, and in fact we must.
If I had to pick a single one (besides RedState of couse), it would have to be a news site, and not a per se commentary site. That means CNSNews.com. Maybe realclearpolitics.com. RCP plays all hot current stuff from both left and right. Lots of polls. CNS is all right-side, daily news plus commentary.
But in terms of a complete reading list, you have to consider townhall.com, human events, rush 24/7, politico, hotair.com, newsbusters.org, mrc.org. Pick one or two or three you like.
Maquisard
No conservative would ever accept
The_Gadfly (Diary) Saturday, October 3rd at 1:19AM EST (link)limiting themselves to one source. I currently read The Washington Times, RedState, National Review, and America’s First Freedom. In the past I have subscribed to Human Events, and before he fell off the sanity wagon I had a subscription to Pat Buchanon’s newsletter (I understand he’s recovered some, but haven’t actually sought out anything new from him). Way back I read US News and World Report, but gave up on them long before their editor became a Clinton adviser. I watch Fox News because at the moment they are the least left biased, which isn’t to say I don’t find some statism creeping into their reporting (as opposed to their opinion, which explicitly includes it for diversity) programming. I loved CNN back when they didn’t have the money to be “professional” because mostly they pointed the camera and let you decide for yourself.
But you need to sample lots of stuff and decide for yourself. Unlike the statists on the left, conservatives don’t have a unified ideology. We’ve got more branches than the Christian church has sects. I’m not personally libertarian, but The Cato Institute does good work and I’d be a fool not to consider their research and opinions. The Heritage Foundation is another good resource. The Hoover Institute also does good work.
It also isn’t enough to have a magazine subscription. You need to buy books and read them as well. I’m currently in the middle of a book on Andrew Jackson (was taught some highly prejudicial things about him in high school and decided it was time to see for myself what he actually did), Levin’s Tyranny and Liberty, F.A. Hayek’s The Constitution of Liberty, and half a dozen other books I shouldn’t have started before finishing the ones I was already reading.
After Redstate
Scope (Diary) Sunday, October 4th at 8:41AM EST (link)check out American Thinker.
Thanks for the suggestions
Tom Anderson (Diary) Thursday, October 8th at 7:05AM EST (link)I didn’t mean I only wanted to have one…economics force a choice.
Of course, I will begin looking at the websites that have been suggested, as I’m sure each has some sort of free area I can look at.
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
- Edmund Burke
really beautiful post
irishgirl Friday, October 2nd at 5:59PM EST (link)I so enjoyed reading your diary, Nancy. Thanks for sharing it. You have a lot of courage and it’s inspiring.
I wonder
bking (Diary) Saturday, October 3rd at 11:43AM EST (link)I wonder if you’re phrasing your arguments right to people. I tend to have a lot of success with the people I know. I get called dispassionate for many of my views but I pretty much shoot back “The best laws usually are. Best decisions are made with a cool head..”
When people ask me why I don’t want the public option, I tell them the insurance industry having a terrible business model doesn’t justify a new terrible business model. Utilities, telecoms, supermarkets, retailers, they all have solid models based on providing a service. Everything you’d ever need to fix the insurance companies could fit on ONE PAGE and would cost a few million max to implement and maintain.
There is more than one way to skin a cat. One cost billions of dollars. The other involves prohibiting bad practices and having them get in line with the other animal skinning industries.
ht tp://boredwhiteguy.blogspot.com/
I credit Bill Clinton with enlightening me
redneck_hippie (Diary) Sunday, October 4th at 11:33AM EST (link)that I am a political animal. I chose Perot in ’92 and still considered myself an “independent.” Through time and experience I very gradually discovered my fiscal/traditional/federalist roots that had been there all along.
I hear you on the losing friends. I dropped one of my best friends through her inability to stop demonizing my opinions. Having known her so well gave me insight into the leftist mindset.
Great story! Thanks for sharing it.
marshmom (Diary) Sunday, October 4th at 12:14PM EST (link)Having been raised in the south by a VERY conservative family, I’ve been a conservative my entire life and have a zero tolerance level for the far left way of thinking.
It’s very hard for me to envision a scenario such as yours. Having been a conservative since birth and only knowing and associating with conservatives my entire life, I guess I never really think about people “switching sides”.
I know that must have been terribly hard and painful for you, but your story is very inspiring and terrific to hear, particularly the part about you becoming a Christian. I am very happy for you and I’m glad to hear that you have found happiness.
Think of all of the people who are still in the dark and don’t feel “quite right” but have no idea why. Congratulations on finding true happiness.
I felt like you read my mind
panthera (Diary) Monday, October 5th at 1:16PM EST (link)I too was from Los Angeles and indoctrinated into liberalism. When I mentioned anything that was the opposite, I was shunned and made fun of.
I have since moved to Texas where I feel welcome and accepted. Although lately Ive met quite a few LA newcomers with their delusions and its got me worried.
Cheers!
Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.