Hard work and sheer grit from individuals lead to success. In the forties and fifties, we believed this. We didn’t consider it a conservative view of life. It was common knowledge. It was common sense.

Our parents’ religious beliefs generally reflected Judaeo-Christian values.  Our country was unquestionably Christian. We had no “State religion.” All of the religions I ever came into contact with in the fifties were God-centered: NOT Mohammad, Allah, not Buddha, nor any other god save God Almighty of Judaeo-Christian persuasion.

In the past, people understood they needed to be self-sufficient. If you lived on a farm, you understood that from the cradle. People took tremendous pride in “doing it themselves.” Neighbors often helped each other with farm work. Asking for money was different. Asking for financial help was shameful. In the late 1800s, my husband’s great-grandfather quit college to work because his father died. He could have asked for help with tuition from relatives, yet he would NOT DO IT. Borrowing money carried a stigma that no longer exists today.

Around the time of the Great Depression, desperate people everywhere were taught (because they were bought) that the GOVERNMENT (in Capital letters) would give help and a handout. At first it was minimal. The idea of entitlements grew with tremendous speed. Politicians soon learned that they could control people with government handouts. So, of course, they expanded them. And people fell for it. It is easy to do. If someone says, “Don’t worry, I will take care of you,” it stifles their own instincts to work hard and make their own way.

Parents had dominion over their children. That was sacrosanct. The state has no right to dictate how our children are raised. It certainly should not dictate medical treatment, bodily modification, or insist that they take a vaccine. This was so obvious when I was young that no one questioned it, even in the case of violent parents. The old adage “spare the rod, and spoil the child” was used frequently as an excuse for a spanking. Now, unruly children can call child protective services on their own parents. Even teachers expelled from false allegations by students. They can cause trouble for parents and teachers by saying they were struck, slapped, or spanked. Has this been an improvement?

Coming out of World War II in the 40s, no one questioned the need for a strong military. The whole country was grateful to our soldiers. The military was the protective skin of society.  No one questioned a strong military because the idea of “speak softly and carry a big stick” was powerful and recent. Now, some people are against having an active military. Today, the military is disparaged and disrespected, carrying over to our peace officers and others in uniform.

We need to ensure that taxation remains minimal and never onerous. Income tax is theft. It penalizes people for doing well. I want to leave it at that, but of course there is more to the subject. It is lovely to have a government that keeps its cities clean and sparkling. However, many large American cities are a disgrace, dirty, full of homeless people and not safe day or night. I am afraid much of our tax money gets lost and wasted. Everyone I know always complains about potholes. When will they be fixed? What they really mean is “What the heck happened to our shining cities on a hill?”

Then there are the Ten Commandments. Unfortunately, many people today ignore the Commandments and don’t know what they say.  This includes things like thou shalt not steal. Law and order is key to a well-run country. The idea that someone would walk into a store and take things off the shelves at random without paying was so outrageous; it was not an idea at all. Stores should not have to be patrolled by police. Shelves should be full of merchandise, not locked cages that a clerk has to open.  This country has always prided itself on NOT having a police presence everywhere. What has happened to our morals that caused us to need police patrolling drug stores and convenience stores to keep them from being looted? No one could have imagined perpetrators running out of a store with their arms full of stolen merchandise. If someone wrote a story about it, readers would say it is too far-fetched to be believed. And yet, here we are.

Religious freedom is one of our country’s most dearly held beliefs. Puritans in Massachusetts, Jews in Rhode Island, Quakers in Pennsylvania, and Catholics in Maryland all agreed to live in peace years ago. All religions have always been welcome, including Muslims. But we are now asked to completely change our own lives to accommodate the Muslims who hate us and do NOT want to live in Peace with us. They don’t like our dogs. They don’t like our bacon. They are horrified by our women, and the feeling is mutual; we don’t like looking at their women in burkhas.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

The Constitution and the Bill of Rights are key elements and must be kept safe. How many of you have read the Constitution? What about the Declaration of Independence? I have many copies of these, which I give out to friends who ask. If you read the words,  your eyes will open. The Founding Fathers thought of everything they could to keep our country safe from tyranny. And they made it legal for everyone who is a citizen to have a vote. One Vote. It took a while to reach that conclusion, and it took two amendments to give everyone the vote, regardless of race, religion, or sex.

We encourage marriage and children once more. I had children when the Atom bomb was a “real and present danger.” Sadly, this most important aspect of our free country has been denigrated in the last few decades. This has nearly destroyed the country. Families are the backbone of the country. Helping to keep them together is important and will lead to many positives.

A fiscally responsible government, whether small or large, remains paramount. Reducing the national debt is extremely important. But that is beyond my pay grade. It seems insurmountable. However, when the country is doing well and business is booming, the deficit can be depleted at astounding speed. I have seen this happen before. Property rights are fundamentally sacred and cannot be ignored. The right to own your home and grow your holdings has always been the American dream. When you hear the phrase, “You will own nothing, and you will be happy!” beware, and do not be lulled into a state of unconscious greed. Handouts are traps.

The country needs to be run on free markets and free enterprise. Innovation has always been one of our greatest assets. We make the best, better. Laws, taxes, or jealousy should not diminish it. Western values go along with our exceptionalism.

American exceptionalism is a source of pride. How did we ever come to a point where this was a matter for debate?  The exceptionalism we share is not a “put-down” to any others. It is a shining example of our confidence as a country, our willingness to experiment and innovate. We are willing to toss old methods and old limiting beliefs to allow progress and the betterment of the country. That American Exceptionalism is a promise to us all. It is also a beacon to those who wish to come here and enjoy it. Why else does this country call to people from every other country in the world? It used to be a privilege to be here. It was hard to become a citizen and an honor when it was accomplished. By opening our borders to illegal immigrants, we have cheapened that honor and harmed our country. We want and need new citizens who are proud of our culture and anxious to assimilate to the “tossed salad”of our great nation.

I am optimistic. Last Saturday, one of my beautiful granddaughters was married to a man who is a man, not a milktoast. They have their whole lives in front of them. They are taking action. Marriage is the first step, then, I hope, children who will grow up and marry as well. Such is the cycle of life.

Copyright©. 2026 Bonnie B. Matheson