*** Video Transcript Below...
Hello, my Conservative friends! We're going to talk about something today in regards to the family unit that is really interesting to me. In doing the reading for this month's videos and particularly the two we've posted, I really want you to read those, but in looking at those it gave me some insight into some of what's going on with families in our country right now. So we're talking about why post-modern Americans struggle with the traditional family unit.
I know for people my age, older, maybe a little bit younger, the family unit is something that is just ingrained into us. It's been an understood unit of people for generations, so there is a lot of frustration with trying to understand why do younger people in particular not view the family the same way. Referencing today, specifically, the article from National Affairs titled, The Form and Function of the American Family by Scott Yenner, read it, it will be enlightening to you. The bottom line is that in the various versions of liberalism that are in our political culture right now, there is a different perspective on individual rights,
"there is a recognition of people as autonomous beings who must be able to choose their lifestyles and identities without interference from anything outside their wills."
That is a really important phrase and that includes government or public opinion, that's on page 10 of the article. So if you're coming politically from that angle you view the traditional family unit as limiting the choices of individuals in particular women. Now many of us could present arguments to that, personally, I don't feel limited by my views of family unit but that's the perception that's in the post-modern era, that the family unit limits personal autonomy and choices. The goal is to with the more liberal views politically is to maximize personal liberties.
So here is the problem that arises in my opinion, you may or may not share that, but if that mindset is extended to its ultimate then there is a loss of community concern about how individual choices affect community living. You know, that family unit taught within the values and perspectives of living as a community that would keep us safe, that would keep us on the same path of success, achievement, and whatnot. What happens when individual choices begin to interfere with how a certain community lives. I think that certainly, we're seeing that in our newscasts now and in what's happening.
So I'd ask you to just think about this question: Where are the lines drawn about how your choices affect my choices? How do we as human beings live together if everybody can make all the choices they want and they begin to intrude on the personal liberties and freedoms and even down to the family lifestyle of others? It's great food for thought as we're talking about the family unit this month.