Right for a Reason: Life, Liberty, and a Crapload of Common Sense - Hardcover

Weaver, Miriam; Clark, Amy Jo

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1595231161 ISBN 13: 9781595231161

Publisher: Sentinel, 2014

Synopsis

“It’s time for a real, snarktastic, humor-filled look at what makes conservatism right. We conservatives have truth and rationality and logic on our side. We just need to remind ourselves why we are right, and we need that reminder delivered in a way that’s not a lecture, not a history lesson, and not a complicated political diatribe.”

If you think all conservatives are old white dudes, think again.

Meet the Chicks on the Right (if you haven’t already).

Everyone loves to tell them they’re wrong. Everyone. Liberals say they’re wrong because, well, they’re conservative. Conservatives tell them they’re wrong because they are not conservative enough. Or because they’re too conservative. Or because they’re the wrong kind of conservative. With all the blame flying around, it’s easy to lose sight of one important thing:

They think like you. And they are right.

It’s right to revere the Constitution. It’s right to value personal responsibility, economic liberty, and free enterprise. It’s right to think that political correctness is crap, and it’s right to call out the mainstream media for bias. And it’s right to laugh at the so-called War on Women and to stand up for the unborn.

As they do every day on their blog and radio show, Miriam Weaver and Amy Jo Clark offer a definitive response to critics on the right and the left, and a cheerfully snarky pep talk for likeminded conservatives. On the one hand, they are tired of the media’s portrayal of conservatives as repressed sticks-in-the-mud; on the other hand, they are sick of GOP leaders who play right into that stereotype.

With humor and insight, Mock and Daisy, as the Chicks are known on their blog, explain why:

• Capitalism is a good thing—success and the money that comes with it are nothing to be ashamed of!
• First Amendment protections extend to all Americans, not just those with whom we agree.
• Americans have a constitutional right to things that go pew-pew-pew.
• Skin color is irrelevant.
• It makes sense to be pro-life and pro-Plan B.

The Chicks offer suggestions for a conservative makeover that will realign the GOP with the regular folks who are frustrated with uptight and clueless politicians. But they also show why conservatism makes sense for everyone, especially those who love their country, their families, God, rock and roll, and a well-made cocktail (not necessarily in that order).

About this title

About the Author:

Amy Jo Clark and Miriam Weaver write the popular Chicks on the Right blog as well as a regular column in The Indianapolis Star. They also host a daily drive-time radio show on WIBC in Indianapolis. Clark was previously a medical writer and communications consultant; Weaver previously worked in human resources. They live outside Indianapolis with their husbands and children.

VISIT WWW.CHICKSONTHERIGHT.COM

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

INTRODUCTION

Hi there.

If you’re reading this right now, chances are you’re a frustrated conservative. And you’ve got good reason to be frustrated. If you’re like us, you’re practically dizzy from how often you’ve shaken your head at the stupidity of low-information voters who couldn’t pick Nancy Pelosi out of a photo lineup but can rattle off the names of every single member of the Kardashian clan. Casting political votes is now on par with casting American Idol votes—people care more about the celebrity “it” factor than they do about competence. The result? We’re smack-dab in the middle of Obama’s “fundamental transformation” of our beloved country, and it’s been positively painful.

Maybe you’re frustrated that conservatives haven’t been able to effectively communicate their ideas in a way that resonates with the public. Maybe you’re frustrated that the mainstream media has been complicit in glamorizing the liberal narrative. Maybe you’re frustrated because you’re not sure you fit in with other conservatives, because you’re not the stereotypical stodgy old white dude. Maybe you’re frustrated because you’re sick of social issues branding conservatism and turning otherwise like-minded people away from it. Or maybe you’re just frustrated that we’re making all of these assumptions about why you might be frustrated.

Whatever is frustrating you about conservatism, we want you to know something. You’re not alone.

Ever since we started our website (chicksontheright.com) back in early 2009, we’ve been inundated with messages and comments from both liberals and conservatives who cannot wrap their minds around the fact that women like us exist. We’re faithful, but irreverent. We’re Christians, but we can curse like sailors. We are breadwinners in our families, but we have mad respect and appreciation for women who choose a traditional stay-at-home-mom role. We expect respect and sensitivity from our husbands, but we love them because they’re men—not metrosexual wusses who use more hair product than we do. We’re conservatives, but we love our LGBT friends and don’t care whom they sleep with. We’re pro-life, but we’re also pro–birth control and pro–Plan B.

“How can you vote for Republicans who want to take away women’s rights?” liberals shriek. “Don’t you know that you’re voting against your own gender?” they wail. “Conservatives want to eliminate access to contraception!” they whine. And our favorite: “You bitches need to get back into the kitchen where you belong and make your rich husbands some sandwiches!”

We’re not kidding. We get that all the time. That one makes us laugh the hardest.

It’s often not much better with folks standing next to us on the right side of the aisle.

“How dare you take the Lord’s name in vain?” they holler. “Why must you be so snarky? Change your tone!” they demand. “Why do you wear shorts? Cover up!” they insist. “You’re just not conservative enough to be conservative,” they say.

But here’s what we’ve learned over the past half decade. Despite what the mainstream media wants you to believe, there are thousands and thousands of people out there who are just like us. They are breaking the conservative stereotype by not being old white dudes. They giggle at dirty jokes and are a bit more relaxed about social issues. They’re strong willed, fed up, and pissed off, and we’re talking to them in a way that resonates. Because we’re regular chicks talking to them like regular chicks. Not like pundits, not like politicians, and not like policy-makers, but like people. People who live in the real world, who care about the country, care about its future, but who are neither bought nor paid for by some special-interest group. We are not a new breed of conservative—we’ve just been ignored by the media, and we are sick of it. Fortunately, we happen to be extra loud and persistent. And we don’t give a damn about what anyone else thinks about us.

Despite what the mainstream media wants you to believe, there are thousands and thousands of people out there who are just like us.

If there’s anything we’ve learned over the past five years of being the Chicks on the Right (in addition to being breadwinners, moms, wives, friends, etc.), it’s that conservatism is right. Our kind of conservatism is rooted in the United States Constitution, which places the power of the people over that of the government. Conservatism is about personal responsibility, economic liberty, free enterprise, and working your butt off in the most exceptional country on the planet. Conservatism, above all else, is about protecting freedom. It’s not just our political ideology. It’s our value system, our attitude, our foundation . . . our essence.

And it’s right.

We know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering, “If conservatism is right, Chicks, then why is our country voting so wrong these days?”

That’s the very question we asked ourselves back in 2008, and answering that question ultimately led to the development of our website. As we watched in horrified awe as Obamamania swept the country, we realized that liberals were succeeding at portraying conservatives unfairly, and they were winning elections because of it. We realized that we didn’t want to watch that happen without doing whatever we could to correct the perception. So chicksontheright.com was born, along with our site names, which have stuck ever since: “Mock” and “Daisy.” If you are reading this book because you’re a fan of our website or our radio show, those are the names you know us by. Now is probably as good a time as any to introduce ourselves to you with our real names: Miriam (Mock) and Amy Jo (Daisy). It’s nice to meet you.

We recognized, when we started our site, that conservatism was in dire need of a makeover, particularly in the messaging department. While the GOP can’t seem to get its crap together on the Hill, we’ve been busy reaching out to the real people that they ostensibly serve—conservatives who understand what being on the right is all about, real people who walk the walk every day. And not only have we reached out to them, but we’ve also listened to them. What they’ve said is that they are happy to know that there are others in the Chicks on the Right community we’ve built who get it. They’re overjoyed to be among others who are right for a reason. If you’re reading this book, then you are officially part of the community building, too. (Not to be confused with community organizing, which is a whole different thing. In fact, if there’s someone out there who actually knows what community organizing is, we’d love to hear a definition, along with an explanation about why it has become pretty much the sole prerequisite for becoming the president of the United States.)

But back to the community we’ve built. (And yes, Mr. President, we did build that.) We’re delighted to have you on board as we work on the makeover of conservative messaging. Because that’s what this country is about, after all: Real people making a real difference. For all the right reasons.

The liberal narrative is too well scripted and too effective to ignore, so in addition to the other channels (like our daily website posts, our drive-time radio show, and regular newspaper column) we use to vent our frustrations, we’ve decided to codify why we’re right with our very own Chicks on the Right manifesto. And that’s what you’re about to read.

Because listen: It’s time to recharge our conservative batteries. It’s time for a real, humor-filled, snarktastic look at what makes conservatism right. Liberals have the stranglehold on messaging right now, and that’s partly because they’ve perfected the art of making the epic lie of liberalism sound like it’s a good thing. We conservatives have truth and rationality and logic on our side. We just need to remind ourselves why we’re right, and we need that reminder delivered in a way that’s not a lecture, not a history lesson, and not a complicated political diatribe.

That’s why we’ve written this book. It’s our invitation to you to join the book version of a Chicks on the Right pep rally. It’s going to be snarky, and it’s going to be fun, so settle in and get ready to feel validated, energized, and ready to carry the conservative message forward to others in a fresh, fun way. Because if you’re a conservative, you’re right. With plenty of good reasons.

CHAPTER 1
Capitalism Is a Good Thing

Remember the hilarious Occupy Wall Street movement? A filthy subset of society who pooped on police cars and smoked a lot of weed in public parks managed to make big waves by furiously decrying “evil corporations” and the “establishment.” Those silly, well-intentioned, deeply misguided hippies. Unfortunately, their PR stunt partially worked—it did a number on the public perception of capitalism being a good thing.

Even though Occupy Wall Street’s existence was mercifully brief, the movement’s absurdity lives on in liberals who espouse the same nonsensical ideas. Progressives believe in the redistribution of wealth—that simply existing entitles them to other people’s money. At the same time, they believe that success is a sign of greed and that capitalism—a system that rewards the hard work of an individual—is one of the roots of evil in our country. As a result, they see nothing wrong with punishing success and rewarding failure in the form of taxpayer bailouts. They’ve redefined poverty in an attempt to even the playing field and make us all equal in a hippie-happy liberal paradise where no one is better, no one is smarter, and—you guessed it—no one is richer or poorer than anyone else. Their arguments are largely based on peace-loving, materialism-shunning, greed-shaming bullshit, and it’s important to remember why they are so freaking wrong.

Listen up, folks. Success and the money that comes with it are good things. It’s the drive to succeed that produced money, freeing us from a barter economy and increasing our prosperity. That same drive produced capitalism, a system that has increased the quality of life for millions of people. It’s true, money can be used for evil, and yes, capitalism isn’t perfect, but as Ayn Rand said, “Wealth is the product of man’s capacity to think.” And let’s face it. The alternatives—poverty and thoughtlessness—really kind of suck.

As young women back in the day, we Chicks couldn’t wait to get out on our own and start making money. Making our own way gave us a sense of independence, a sense of accomplishment, and the sense of personal satisfaction that comes with doing something worthwhile and earning something tangible in return. Today we use the money we earn to feed our families, heat our homes, and put clothes on our backs, and we like that money for good reason. Money isn’t just good; it’s necessary, and that’s an inevitable fact of life—one that progressives will never be able to escape, no matter what kind of fundamental transformation they plan for this free-market country of ours. We’re right about this.

There’s a reason the phrase “the American dream” was coined. It embodies an idea that perfectly fits within conservative ideology—the idea that we are free to work hard to achieve success. While liberals cling like tree sloths to promises of everything being provided to them by the government, conservatives cling to the notion of self-sufficiency. Capitalism is the cornerstone of that self-sufficiency, an economic system that ensures that individual people and businesses own the means of production, not the government. Conservatives take pride in the way capitalism encourages ownership and working hard, while liberals complain that capitalism cuts them off from the government teat. Conservatives want equal opportunity. Liberals want equal outcomes. They fail to realize that equal outcomes mean everyone is equally miserable.

We’re capitalists because we’d rather be happy. And blissfully successful. And able to take any extra money we have to buy a killer pair of pumps.

While liberals cling like tree sloths to promises of everything being provided to them by the government, conservatives cling to the notion of self-sufficiency.

HIPPIES VS. CAPITALISM

Let’s take a look at the Occupy movement a little more closely. To these hippies, capitalism, along with the success it brings, is the root of evil in our country. Shortly after the movement’s inception, several of Occupy’s more prominent members decided to organize their thoughts into a manifesto of sorts.1 We Chicks read it when it was in its infancy, and were completely freaked out by what we read. And while we were tempted to say, “Holy wow—look at the insane ramblings of the crazy hippies” and just dismiss it, the reality is that those authors and editors represent perhaps hundreds of thousands of like-minded wackjobs who are oblivious to the fact that their demands, if met, would cause the eventual collapse of our entire country. But hey, whatever, right? It’s nothing a little weed can’t make better.

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’S NEW ECONOMIC CHARTER: THE OWS MANIFESTO

Check out these choice nuggets from that masterpiece:

Goldman Sachs, Citibank, Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo, as well as other “larger than life” institutions like them, “need to redirect funds from their profit sheets on a regular basis to community bank start-ups or credit unions to assure economic diversity within the nation to state and county regulations.” So basically any small business owner with a dream of growing his or her company to “larger than life” size should be prepared, once they succeed, for their profits to be redirected to smaller, struggling operations in the name of “economic diversity.” Because fairness.

The whole matter of salary and compensation was completely thought out by the OWS folks. They created “New Salary Range Recommendations Based on Concepts of Economic Sustainability and Right Livelihood.” Behold—their proposed compensation guidelines:

Bankers $20,000

Lawyers $27,500

Realtors $25,000

Doctors $28,000

Nurses $27,500

Teachers / Librarians / Train engineers / Bridge maintenance / Ship pilots, etc. $35,000

Police $36,000

Public servants $28,500

Laborers $20,000

Other public sector $30,000

Other private sector $29,000

Technical/Research/Academic $36,000

Entrepreneurs / Business owners $10,000

Congress $30,000

President $40,000

Soldiers N/A

Defense workers $25,000

All jobs include full health benefits for worker and family, full retirement benefits, full free education for children.

Amazing, isn’t it? It completely escaped the OWS folks that entrepreneurs and business owners are the very people who would be footing the bills, and yet they assigned them the smallest salaries. And soldiers? Eh, screw ’em. It’s not like they’re really doing anything important anyway.

What was ridiculous about the Occupy movement was that the folks least affected by it happened to be the Wall Street bankers. Yeah, it was business as usual for the very people the protesters were protesting. Meanwhile, the people on whose behalf they claimed to be protesting (the “99 percent”) suffered the most. Among the complaints were the nonstop drumming, the public urination and filth, and the barricades that bloc...

About this edition

• Publisher: Sentinel
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1595231161
• ISBN 13: 9781595231161
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224