Confessions of someone politically to the right of center

The latest online poker fiasco -- goodbye Neteller for all USA players -- has once again brought out all kinds of nasty rhetoric on blogs throughout cyberspace. Unfortunately, those of us who have a moderate or conservative point of view get thrown in with all the politicians who have decided that they will limit the freedom of the US citizens. But can we take a closer look at this before attaching labels to everyone and making broad assumptions that just aren't true?

For years, I have embraced many of the concepts of conservatism. Yes -- I believe in the individual, in the right of each person to create his or her own destiny, in the concept of individual responsibilty. Along with these, I want my government to assist people to assist themselves, but not become the answer to every social ill.

Those who believe in conservative ideals, however, also hope to minimize the government's intrusion into the privacy of the individual. But what has been happening due to our politicians?

Loss of freedom. Loss of privacy. Loss of rights. In short, all the things that make some of us shy away from the radical liberals in our society, the ones who (we perceive) want to create a law for every situation, seek handout after handout, and value the right to not be offended over the right to freedom.

Now, however, it seems like conservative politicians have forgotten all about what being conservative means. Instead, they are now the ones forcing government into our private lives, they are the ones dictating values and decisions, they are the ones taking away individual freedom.

It is time for politicians who consider themselves conservatives to remember their roots and remember what conservatives deem important. Get out of our private lives. Don't tell us what we can and can't do. Don't take away our freedom.