Mike Huckabee Comes to Cornell

Former Arkansas governor and US Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee spoke to the Cornell community tonight; his talk was entitled "In God We Trust: The Role of Faith in Politics".

I rarely pay much attention to politics. The obsession with power, electability, and the party line is a real-turn off, and I often bemoan the dearth of statesmen, as opposed to politicians. I went into this lecture knowing next to nothing about Mr. Huckabee, and came out feeling refreshed and encouraged.

Mr. Huckabee's opinions are based on sound, carefully considered logic and independent thought. I don't agree with him on every little detail, but it's clear that he has made every effort to educate himself and refuses to take the party line (or any other line) out of convenience. I found this not only eminently respectable but also a great example of true conservatism.

What do I mean by true conservatism? There's a lot of confusion over that word. Supposedly, conservatives are proponents of small government and personal responsibility (though it's true that many people who use the conservative label don't actually promote that view). Mr. Huckabee made a very important point, one which I hadn't come to as of yet on my own: our willingness as individuals to take responsibility for our lives is intimately related to the degree of government we must have. Cutting back government and slashing taxes may not be the best choice if more chaos is the result. I'm going to take that concept one step further and suggest that our success as a nation, a society, and a culture depends on how we treat each other. Laws, lawsuits, and even the Constitution can never do as much to protect us as patience, respect, and open communication.

An important caveat is that personal responsibility requires a great deal more in the way of initial effort by each individual. It takes a strong mind to constantly challenge oneself with new ideas and opinions, to try to make sound decisions about all aspects of life, and to try to contribute positively to the world. I firmly believe, however, that everyone is capable of this effort. There are any number of reasons why people might not take responsibility for themselves, but it's largely not because they lack the capacity. I'm not sure what the best way to encourage personal responsibility is, though. Maybe it's as simple as trying to live up to that ideal myself.