The results of the recent election surprised many people, and upset many people. In retrospect, however, perhaps it was predictable. It certainly should be instructive. Here’s the way I see it.
Voters don’t want to be disrespected and told how to think, and don’t appreciate being gaslighted. They’re a lot smarter, and far more perceptive, than many politicians realize, or, perhaps more accurately, are willing to admit.
When we go to the grocery store and see that prices have increased tremendously, or fill up our gas tanks and see a 50 percent increase over what prices were not that long ago, we resent being told that inflation is under control, and that the problem is only one of “perception.” It brings to mind the famous Groucho Marx quote, “Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?”
We don’t want to be told that the border is under control and secure, when it’s plain for anyone to see that we have a massive problem. When we hear of murders committed by illegal migrants, we don’t want to hear that it’s really only a small portion of those people who are criminals. The obvious questions in response are, how many murders and rapes by people who shouldn’t be here are acceptable? And would it be fine with the open-border advocates if it were their families rather than some unknown strangers being killed?
We know that we need immigrants, but we also know that we need to know and control who is coming in.
We don’t want to be told that men can become honest-to-goodness women via cosmetic surgery, or some kind of alchemy, or by the mere declaration of “identification” with a sex other than the one they were assigned at birth. We want our daughters and sisters to be able to safely and fairly compete with other women and girls. We have no problem with adults who want to change their appearance and lifestyle, but not minors. People should be free to live as they wish, but never at someone else’s expense.
We want our institutions of higher learning and government agencies to accept students and workers because they are smart and work hard, not because they belong to a group favored by politicians. In other words, we want people to earn what they get. What a quaint idea!
We want to be free to speak our minds without fear of harassment by others, including government and school officials, without fear of being canceled or labeled racist for the sin of disagreement with an approved line of thought.
Isn’t school meant for the expression of different thoughts? Isn’t the marketplace clash of ideas ultimately good for all of us?
We want the freedom to choose what kind of cars we drive and appliances we buy without big-brother mandates.
We want our elected officials to protect us and our families, rather than coddling career criminals. Putting arrested violent offenders right back on the street because requiring bail is, somehow, more unfair to some people than to others doesn’t seem like a sensible response to poverty.
I can offer many more examples of what our elected officials should be thinking about, but the general idea should be clear. We want our officials to rely on common sense, and not on ideology. This doesn’t have to mean giving up principles. Classical liberalism stands for individual autonomy and equal opportunity, while moving toward social progress. Classical conservatism emphasizes preservation of established customs, with gradual, careful change when needed, rather than abrupt shifts. These need not always be in conflict.
Howard Kopel represents Nassau County’s 7th Legislative District and is the Legislature’s presiding officer.