Long live the conservatives

Long live the conservatives (Bensblurb #671 )

By: BEN BLANKENSHIP | For the Stafford County Sun
Published: July 18, 2012 Updated: July 18, 2012 - 11:57 AM

» Comments| Post a Comment

@Staffordcountysun.com

Our long hot summer, combined with our country’s prolonged jobless recovery, would be problematical even if there were no elections coming up in November. But, as we are constantly being reminded, they are.

So, contrary to Nat King Cole’s happy tune serenading those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, we old folks on the sidelines of the action are left to remember fondly those times way back when, when things were looking up, and not so cock-eyed and frustrating as now.

True, the Nationals are surprisingly good at baseball. And wouldn’t it be nice to see…wait for it…a Yankee-Nats World Series!

Even better (WARNING:political diatribe ahead), it would be great to see the GOP win the House, Senate, and of course, the White House. Otherwise, I fear that our national slog of the past four years will continue or worsen. Things aren’t a bit better today, I say.

About the only good thing I have gotten in recent years is older. Fact is, I have now outlived the life expectancy of today’s men, which is said to average 78.5 years.

Why? Maybe it’s good breeding or something. More to the point, it’s said that certain healthy behaviors help extend our years. Moreover, researchers have found that your personality could affect how many birthdays you celebrate. According to stuff on the Internet (which surely should know), six personality traits in particular are more common in those who lead longer lives. They are: Conscientious, easy to laugh, socially connected, optimistic, happy, extroverted. I score well most of the time, and I would add one more: Conservative. Read on.

Arthur Brooks of the American Enterprise Institute, in the New York Times, explained why conservatives describe themselves as so much happier than liberals. They (we) favor an explanation focusing on lifestyle differences, such as marriage and faith. Most conservatives are married; most liberals are not. (The percentages are 53 percent to 33 percent, and almost none of the gap is due to the fact that liberals tend to be younger than conservatives.) Marriage and happiness go together.

I do applaud proposed measures to cut the size of government. Simply put, it’s way too big. But let’s not go overboard. The armed forces need help, not hindrance. As I have claimed before, it’s almost criminal the way our troops are sent back on second and third deployments and even more. Support our troops.

Also, we need to be careful in blasting the Post Office. It does need trimming. But to my neighbors in Aquia Harbour (in 2,500 homes) I would advise muted criticism. For if big cutbacks happened, our mail boxes could all be aggregated at the entrance gate. Many townhouse communities have such community boxes. Besides, it wasn’t too long ago that Stafford County, frustrated by our lack of progress in improving our roads, threatened to pick up and drop off our school children only at one spot near the entrance.

So let’s be prudent, conservatives, and live life longer.

Ben Blankenship, a long-time columnist, can be reached at info@staffordcountysun.com.