Social Issues. What Social Issues?

Where did social issues go? Much of the country’s conversation today centers around one all-encompassing subject: our economy’s precarious situation. Our news is about jobs, recessions, depressions, unemployment, GDP, and government spending. Little else seems to matter short of some tired liberal celebrity’s latest rant about the hateful Tea Party or what sac religious song Lady Gaga just released. When did issues of morality within the GOP take a backseat to Donald Trump's latest advice for fixing our economy?

Last time I checked, over a million babies a year were still being aborted in this country. Six states now legalize gay marriage. Recreational drug use is becoming more rampant. Divorce is now so common place we don’t even really give it a second thought. Women continue becoming more content to have the baby without the husband. Pornography on the internet slices up our relationships and makes sexual deviants out of more and more citizens. How many "To Catch a Predator" reruns does it take to crystalize the notion our young people are committing some pretty lewd acts?
I’m not blaming the Tea Party for keeping our national focus on the exponential spending occurring in Washington since 2008. In fact, I marched in Washington D.C. twice since November 2008 speaking out against destructive runaway spending. Mr. Obama, Ms. Pelosi, and Mr. Reid’s economic notions are extremely dangerous, and I applaud the Tea Party for keeping the crisis in front of average Americans. Our media certainly won’t do it in an intellectually honest way. Keynesian economics doesn’t work. Printing money to spend when you don’t have any is a sure fire way to find insolvency. Americans need to understand the effects of this crippling spending spree.

Yet, I wonder if we conservatives are focused too much on spending while leaving the back door open to continued erosion of our collective moral conscious. How did America rise to prominence in the first place? Was it our robust adherence to capitalist principles or our allegiance to a power greater than any one human being? Was it lower marginal tax rates or loving and helping our neighbors as ourselves? Was it supply side economics or self-reliance and individual responsibility? Does economic policy drive our success or could a moral, virtuous, people be the foundation for ultimate wealth creation? It would appear we need both. One or the other is not enough. We need capitalism and we need morality.

Don’t misunderstand me. I love capitalism. I understand its power to lift up the greatest number of people out of poverty. I’m all for the free market, and supply and demand. I know that many a moral people can live in socialist economies and not experience freedom like we have. But capitalism with no morality ultimately equals destruction. A republic will not stand unless its citizenry understands their very liberties come from God.

Lasting success does not come without integrity. It does not come without honesty. It does not come without a desire to serve other people. Each of us should strive as individuals to live and lead with moral clarity. We need to be models of integrity. We need to do the right thing even when it could lead to personal hardship. Our fellow neighbors, friends, and co-workers will be moved to change only when they see authentic people living their lives in such a way as to honor their fellow man. This is the real hope and change so many of us are looking for.