20 Small Ways to Make America a Better Place

One of the terrible tendencies conservatives have as a group is that we’re not satisfied with a single or a double, we want to hit a home run every time we step up to the plate. We don’t think about long-term results. We shrug off small victories. We pay little attention to liberals’ moves decades in the making, then, when we do notice what the Left is doing, we demand it be reversed immediately.

That is not how you win in politics or in life. Everyone thinks that you need to be a Dan Bongino, Ben Shapiro, Thomas Sowell, or Ron DeSantis to make a difference, but that’s not true. You win in politics and in life by building on small, incremental victories. You win by being the type of person you want to see in the world. You win by being the sort of person your family and friends would be proud to be associated with.

Here are twenty ways to be that kind of person.

1) Recognize that police officers are getting a lot of flack they don’t deserve right now and thank them for their service. Have you ever bought a meal for someone in the military? Trust me, you are not going to feel bad about doing it.

2) Help your neighbors. It doesn’t have to be anything big. Maybe you mow their yard once in a blue moon. Take some food to them after someone dies. Let them know where some toilet paper is in stock during a shortage. Have a little polite conversation with them now and again. Wave to them when they drive past. At least do enough to go from being a “neighbor” to a “good neighbor.”

3) If someone asks you to pray for them or a family member, take a moment and do it.

4) Treat people who can’t do anything for you with decency and respect. Be polite. Tip well.

5) Vote with your attention and vote with your wallet. Don’t put money in the pockets of people that hate you for your beliefs, whether it’s NIKE, the NFL, or Disney. Don’t feed people that are jerks or behaving badly with likes, follows and shares.

6) Be competent at what you do. Treat people well. Take care of the people you care about and try to make your community a better place. If people want to know what Christians and conservatives are really like, let them look at you and at least think, “That guy’s not so bad. If we had a lot more people like him around, the world would be a better place.”

7) Whether it’s church, a political rally, or a friend’s BBQ, show up, say “hi,” and shake a few hands. I can’t even tell you how many connections I’ve made and friendships I’ve cemented by meeting people in person instead of it just being an “Oh, I have seen you online” situation.

8) Get comfortable saying “yes sir” and “no ma’am” to service workers, the police, and people that are older than you.

9) Don’t allow yourself to be intimidated into silence when you’re right as so many Americans have over the last few years. Stand up for the truth, speak out even if people don’t like it, and let other people gain courage from your example.

10) Be an organ donor if you can. Every year, good people die and spend their days living in misery because there aren’t enough organs to go around. That might be you, me, or someone we care about one day, but it doesn’t have to be if everyone does their part.

11) Be a member of your local church. Show up. Teach Sunday school class. Be a deacon. The church is one of, if not the most, positive forces in America, and making some friends and getting some moral instruction there will be good for you.

12) Be scrupulously honest. If someone drops a wallet or even a dollar, be the person that picks it up, gets their attention, and gives it back to them. Be the person that other people would trust to hold their money because it just seems inconceivable you’d steal it.

13) If you’re male, embrace some basic chivalry. Hold the door open for women. Open the car door for a woman getting in your car. Pull out a woman’s chair. Walk on the outside of the sidewalk so you’re between her and any car that could run off the road onto the sidewalk.

14) It’s easy to ignore local politics, but it matters more than you think. Stuffing some envelopes, putting up some yard signs, and generally supporting your local politicians and party is vital.

15) Go to the range and practice your shooting. Take a concealed weapons course. Get good with a gun. Hopefully, you will never need it, but if you do, that practice may save a lot of lives, including your own.

16) Pay attention to what your kid is being taught in school and don’t be afraid to be the parent standing up and saying, “no” if you don’t like it. You don’t work for the school, the school works for you and they’re going to have a major impact on your most precious resource… your child. DEMAND that it be a positive one.

17) If a politician wants your support, then you should not tolerate them lying to you or behaving badly. I can tolerate a difference of opinion or a politician sometimes telling me what I don’t want to hear, but lying, bad morals, or conspiracy theories? If I have anything to say about it, those guys are getting voted off the island. We may pay a short-term price for that, but long-term, sticking to standards is the only way to get decent men in office.   

18) Follow the Golden Rule. Compliment people when they deserve it. Don’t blow molehills up into mountains when it’s not merited. In a world full of hyper-sensitive, aggrieved people looking for an excuse to be outraged, be that positive person who makes the people around them feel better about themselves.

19) America is full of idiots who barely know what’s going on and it doesn’t matter if they vote, but if you’re reading this column, you’re probably not one of those people. That’s why it’s important that you vote. Encourage your friends to vote. Drive people to the polls. Register people to vote if you can.

20) Support people on your side with more than just words. It doesn’t have to be big. A $5 GoFundMe contribution matters. Likes, shares, and free subscriptions help. Telling your friends, “This guy’s work is terrific, check it out” is helpful.

---