Lessons from the "All politics is local" file

From South Carolina, comes some local interesting developments that have some broader truths underlying them.  The story via ABC:

When openly gay police chief Crystal Moore was fired by a mayor who condemned her lifestyle as "questionable," she feared her two decade career in law enforcement in this town was over.

Then, this conservative, small town rebelled.

The people of Latta, who voted overwhelmingly for a state amendment banning gay marriage eight years ago, turned against the mayor, stripped him of his powers and the town council rehired Moore. They said her dedication to the town mattered more than her sexual orientation.

The truth - true conservatives are not concerned about someone's sexual orientation but rather, they are concerned about government OVER-oversight and encroachment on liberty.  It's evident in the town's reaction to the firing of Moore.  Government, of any polticial persuasion, does not, opr should not, have the right to condemn or restrict someone's personal orientation using a government office as a big stick to do it.

The mayor was wrong.  Conservatives in town are rightly concerned about whether the police chief was doing a good job, which she was, and not her personal orientation.  So the town admonished a politician who had previously been popular enough to run unopposed for his office.  

While the mainstream media may portray this as an awakening of conservatives to the realities of the 21st century, that is not the case - it`s just liberal spin.

Yes, there are social conservatives, and many of them are also fiscal conservatives.  Not all fiscal conservatives are social conservatives. (Full disclosure - I would consider myself socially predominantly conservative and fiscally fully conservative). But real conservatism does not seek to impose itself upon those with differing views.  It seeks to enlighten, and challenge people.  Just as Christianity does.  Unlike some other religion, it does not seek to impose itself.  Force removes choice, which removes free will, which removes the ability to have faith.

Conservatives have become more enlightened over the decades, but not by progressive liberalism - rather by the more libertarian live and let live rationale.  So long as your lifestyle does not impinge upon mine, or harm anyone, then you are, as Milton Friedman would say, `Free to Choose`.  The people of Latta have proved that conservatives get that.  They may not bow to political correctness, but they do know what is right, and they act accordingly.