Conservative Values

I have a couple conservative friends (both old white guys) who got me thinking the other day. We'll call them Bob and Marion (because that's what their mothers named them).

Bob and I were talking about the potential threat of a missle attack from North Korea against the Hawaiian Islands over the July 4th Weekend. I was expressing gratitude that the Navy was moving a large radar system and anti-missle defense system into place near Pearl Harbor. He thought that was outrageous and suggested instead that we deploy our nuclear (nu-cue-lahr) submarines off the coast of Japan and nuke North Korea before they had the chance to launch. He said Obama is showing weakness by not confronting the North Koreans directly. Ditto for Iran, he said.

My conversation with Marion was similar. We were discussing the demise of our businesses and our need to find other work and living arrangements. He said he would like to walk into congress and...he mimed throwing grenades and firing a machine gun.

A third conversation took place with a very rich customer. She said that she thought the recession was going to continue for another year and that we were not yet in the worst of it. I asked if she could foretell the future, and she said no. I asked why be gloomy, then? Being negative is no more "realistic," than being positive. She grudgingly agreed.

(Digression Alert) My brother recently wrote me the following: "Just finished the book "The new Christians," lent by our pastor on "Emergent churches." Hokey name, but SOME interesting stuff therein. There is a group --fairly conservative theologically, but TRYING hard not to be cynical." (End Digression Alert).

These three conversations got me thinking about conservative values. I've heard many statements like these. Are negativity, cynicism, and especially violence conservative values? Can having a positive, faith-filled, attitude be contagious and actually help us out of our present difficulties? And why am I starting to sound like Carrie Bradshaw?