So, one might ask, what is a Conservative anyway and what makes him tick? Here's how I look at the differences between a Conservative and one who is decidedly not. First, we need to talk about Common Sense. Common Sense makes up the core of all Conservative thought and also defines the great distance between those who are Conservative and those who see themselves as progressives, communists, liberals, socialists, democrats or whatever it is they call themselves. Sam Clemens (Mark Twain) said once that "the funny thing about common sense is that it isn't very common." So, what is common sense then? Well, as I define it -it's the collective store of knowledge that we pick up during our formative years that keeps us from making and repeating dumb and often painful mistakes. None of us come into the world with a scintilla of common sense. We are all "tabula rasas" (blank slates) upon which life begins to write from the day we enter this world. For example, we quickly learn that pain hurts and we thereafter try to avoid it. Some things hurt, Fire hurts, bumping into the wall hurts and falling off ones bike hurts. We learn to avoid hurtful things. Conversely, we find that other things are pleasurable and naturally gravitate toward that which is good avoiding the bad. This is common sense on its most basic and universal level. On this level, all of us have some common sense, even liberals. As we develop, our store of common sense grows with us. We learn discernment, which is another form of common sense. This sense tells us that some things are good in a material way and some not so. We begin to understand that some people are always in trouble and we should stay away from them- trouble rubs off. We learn to tell quality from shoddy in everything. We avoid Chinese knock off shoes because we know they fall apart. We buy things that last and know that those things that last are of good quality. That is common sense. In life one finds that most of the choices one makes require him to exercise common sense. The clothes, homes and cars one buys with ones hard-earned money all are decided upon using the knowledge one has gained along life's road. Not too many convertibles are sold in Fairbanks! The subjects one studies in college or university are, or should be, determined by ones interests as that learning might relate to ones future. A student wishing to become a physician, engineer, lawyer or scientist understands well that he is embarking on an academic pursuit requiring substantial effort for a considerable number of years. It takes dedication to enter into these fields. We learn early on that if we persist in our efforts to obtain given goals there are rewards for so doing. We learned as children that short-term benefits are far outweighed by obtaining long-term goals. Boy Scouts, over time and with effort, become Eagle Scouts and those who learn to play musical instruments know that the only way to become good is to study and practice for many years. We learn that successful outcomes depend on hard efforts- good things happen to those who devote years to becoming good at whatever it is that they wish to be good at. That's common sense! So, what is the take away here? It's obvious -or should be- there is no free lunch! Everything worth having takes hard work, brains and determination. That lesson lies at the foundation of all Conservative thought. There is absolutely no possible argument anyone could make to the contrary. Building a bridge, a building or a monument begins with the laying of the very first brick and continues on, stone by stone layer by layer cable by cable, until years later it is finished. Building the successful life begins with the first book, the first test and the first job. No one can make anyone into a worthwhile human being by giving him things- It is 'only' through "earning" those things that one can be successful. Knowledge does not come in a can!