Conservative principles took another loss in the South Dakota Legislature last week.

I listened to testimony on a bill that provided reasonable openness in government by allowing citizens to easily access the votes cast by individual Legislators.  The bill was voted down unanimously.

What struck me most was that the bill was voted down not because of the merits of the bill, but because of who brought it.  The true merits of the bill got lost because the opponents did not want to discuss the merits of the bill.  They found a convenient excuse, which provided them cover.

Let me explain.

The leadership in the Republican party does not want to pass this kind of legislation.  It blows their cover by allowing voters to conveniently see how their Legislator as voted.  That would not be good for them.

They have managed thus far to bury the real issue beneath the political vitriol, so that the author of the bill and the proponents are made to look like villains.  In this case, the committee chair, who is the Majority leader in the House gave a public reprimand to a supporter of the bill because he ended his email(s) to the leader by saying “may you rot in Hell”.  One can hardly blame the leader for taking offence at this kind of remark.  The leader told the supporter of the bill he “was glad to see him leaving (the hearing room)”, and then proceeded to tell the bill’s sponsor, a fellow Legislator that he was “glad to see him leaving too”.  

The Majority Leader took the occasion to tell the citizen supporting the bill that he had “no credibility” because of the way he ended his email(s) to the Leader.

OK, fair enough to say those kind of remarks are out of line.  Unfortunately, the Leader only found it appropriate to chastise those who disagree with his position on this issue.  One would wonder, if the Leader were genuinely interested in civility and respect, why he did not use the occasion to take issue with those who were seated at his side during this hearing (several of them) who have assailed the author of this bill and fellow conservatives by calling them  “F***ing Idots”, “Pieces of SH**” and other vulgar superlatives.  The committee concluded its remarks by some of “those” fellows commending the leader for his handling of the meeting.

The conservative issue, and the conservative Legislator, lost the battle by allowing this “team” of Republicans to claim “higher ground” because of inappropriate remarks.

The inappropriate remarks of the liberals are never called into question.  That is a given.  But rest assured that ANY inappropriateness on the part of conservatives or their supporters will be shouted from the highest hill!!  It gives liberals the cover they need, since they can never win on the merits of their positions.

When conservatives allow themselves or their comrades to abandon discipline, and stoop to the level of the opposition, they ALWAYS loose.  Not because of the merits of their position, but because they give liberals an excuse to dwell on everything EXCEPT the merits.  Even those who might be with us leave because they don’t want to be associated with unseemly comments or behavior.  This, even though they are associating themselves with liberals who can say or do whatever they choose.

Conservatives are simply held to a higher standard.  That is not really a bad thing.  It makes us better.  When we live up to that standard of decency and civility we can win.  When we allow ourselves the luxury of being uncivil, we guarantee failure.

Keep it civil… we win!

Anything less… we loose!

***Gordon Howie is a nationally syndicated author and CEO of Life and Liberty Media***