Our Duty

So the previous post had a list of definitions from various sources on "conservative" and one source of the root word "conserve." If we strip it away from the political usage in order to understand how the political usage began I see a few key definitions that stand out to me.

Conservative:

• Adhering to traditional values and Ideals.
• Disposed to preserve and keep existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.
• Cautiously moderate or purposefully low: a conservative estimate.
  

Conserve: *

• To protect from loss or harm
• To use carefully or sparingly, avoiding waste.
  

Given these definitions, I put forth that as a conservative, it is our duty to

• Learn from our past>The Good. Tranditions and institutions and existing ideals have developed over time for a reason. Often through repeated trial and error. With respect to the test of time, traditional ways should be given the benefit of the doubt.
• Learn from our past> The Bad. We can't, however, assume that just because it's the way things have always been done does NOT mean that it is good, right, or the best. So we should be able to look honestly and critically on tradition. The good, right, and the best, will stand up to criticism.
• Protect and Preserve. We should be protectors of our society. As we find what is right and good, we should protect that with everything that we have within ourselves.
• Be careful with change. Change can be good, but it can be bad as well. I do not advocate that we resist change at all costs, but rather be careful.