AuH2O knows best.

Barry Goldwater is widely known as the champion of conservatism, whose 1964 presidential bid launched the mobilization of a new wave of Republicans and conservatives within the United States. In fact, he's the politician most often credited with sparking the resurgence of the American conservative political movement of the 1960s (Wikipedia says so, so it must be true).

Barry Goldwater (get it...Gold + Water = Au H2O?) is also responsible for introducing Ronald Reagan to the national political scene, giving Reagan the platform for one of the most stirring and poignant speeches of his entire career, "A Time for Choosing." If you've never read, heard, or watched that speech, I can't recommend it enough. Here's a link so that you can see/listen to/read it. To this day it's considered one of the most effective speeches ever made on behalf of a candidate. UH-MAZING.

Some other tidbits of wisdom from Barry Goldwater include:

• "The income tax created more criminals than any other single act of government."


• "To disagree one doesn't have to be disagreeable."


• "To insist on strength is not war-mongering, it's peace-mongering."


• "A government that is big enough to give you all that you want is also big enough to take away all that you have."


• "I wouldn't trust Richard Nixon from here to that phone."

Obviously, he was a very wise man.

However, one of my favorite quotes from him is something I feel is especially relevant this week. Barry Goldwater said, "You don't have to be straight to be in the military; you just have to shoot straight."

This weekend the Senate voted to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell (often abbreviated as DADT, which I often mistakenly read as "Defense Against the Dark Arts" like in Harry Potter). Today, President Obama signed the bill into law. And honestly - I couldn't be any prouder.

I think that the fact that we have denied gay Americans serving our country the right to be themselves in egregious. I think gay Americans who want to serve their country should be able to do so freely and openly, without any sort of fear for their livelihood should their "secret" come out.

Because fighting for and defending the honor of your country is pretty amazing.

ANY citizen who wants to be able to stand up for the rights and freedoms of Americans should be allowed to do so. I respect the military. I believe they should be honored. And I don't think that the government should be able to tell someone they can't serve because of the gender that person happens to be attracted to.

While people (mostly liberals) are trying to spread the message that conservatives and Christians alike are terribly bigoted anti-gay homophobes, that's simply not the case. A lot of conservatives and Christians disagree with the lifestyle, but they don't hate the people.

Goldwater, this bastion of conservatism, was all for gays serving openly back in the 60s. He reiterated his position in 1993, shortly after Clinton took office and instituted the DADT policy (expelliarmus!). Like I mentioned in an earlier post (here) it is my opinion, and the opinion of many conservatives - not necessarily Republicans - that it's not my place to diminish the love that one person feels for another person, no matter their gender. Neither is it the government's place to sanctify that love. It IS the government's job, however, to make sure this country is adequately protected and well-served, and they can't do that by excluding anyone who is willing and able to serve.

I am proud to call myself conservative, and I am proud that this bill made it through the Congress and the Senate and was signed by Obama. I think it's a step in the right direction, and hope that the legislation can be implemented with little to no dangerous reprecussions for those currently serving.

And I am proud of anyone who is willing to serve our country: gay, straight, or otherwise. You are true heroes.