Where are the real conservatives these days? Perhaps they exist in the form of gentlemen like Oren Hatch and John McCain, but many who claim to be conservative really are not. They are rude, disrespectful, loose with the truth, inaccurate in their portrayal of other people's views, and mean spirited.

And of course, some so-called "liberals" behave the same way.

None of those qualities can be characterized as traditionally conservative. And when they are acted out in the behavior of people who claim to be liberal, they are not that either.

To be conservative is to be reserved and gentle. To be liberal is to be generous toward other people and their views. A "conservative" can be "liberal" and, in fact must be to be truly conservative. A "liberal" can be and must be "conservative" in these ways. To be really conservative or liberal, one must be moderate and respectful.

BY TENA LEE/The News Examiner
• September 3, 2009

In response to calls about President Barack Obama’s plan to address the country’s school-age children on Tuesday, Sumner County Schools is letting parents choose whether their children hear the speech.

Obama will deliver a national address to American school-age children via whitehouse.gov/live and C-SPAN at 11 a.m. central time on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

The contents of the address were not immediately available, but a press release from the White House said the president would speak about persisting and succeeding in school.

“The president will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning,” the release said.

www.tennessean.com to READ MORE

Maybe I am naive or stupid, but I don't get this.

The President of the United States, elected by a majority of the people, wants to talk to school aged children about succeeding in school and persevering? How could anyone object?

He is their President for crying out loud. He is my President and the President of every American.

No one can dispute his family values – the values he exemplifies in his family. No one can say that this message is not something kids don't need to hear. So where is the objection?

What kind of national stupidity, evident on the right and the left, requires that we demonize our political opponents in order to elevate our positions?

Senator Bob Dole said, more than once, "Bill Clinton is my opponent, not my enemy."

No one ever disputed the Senator's credibility.

President Obama is not asking students to become Democrats or Republicans. He is not advocating a particular sexual viewpoint. He is not talking about abortion. He is not discussing economic theory. He is encouraging them to be good students.

There is nothing conservative about objecting to the leader of our nation speaking to children. The conservative people who raised me taught me to respect my leaders, love my country, and put differences aside for the common good. They taught me courtesy. They taught me that people can disagree without being disagreeable. They taught me that to wish anything but good for other people or to attack their characters was sinful.

Whatever issues we disagree about, our biggest problem is the disintegration of our commitment to civility. As a church, we are not loving our neighbors unless they agree with us politically. We cannot even change hearts and minds because we are losing our voice and right to speak through hyperbole and harshness in the public sector.

We talk about worldliness creeping into the church and this is one of the prime examples. It does not matter how correct our message is if we deliver it without love, grace, and mercy. It is not prophetic if it is not Christlike.

If we would stop and listen to each other, we might find that the other side has some of the same goals and we might be able to give them credit for helping us solve the problems. That is the way of the servant. That is the kingdom way.

Lest anyone think this is all about people who call themselves conservative, I have seen the same sort of nastiness coming from the other side. Christians who call themselves "liberal" should also take heed.

Our opponents are not necessarily evil.

Conservative Christian parents should encourage their children to listen to and honor their President.