One of the cornerstones of conservatism is appreciation for family and the values taught to each and every one of us by our elders.
With Father's Day right around the corner, About.com Guest Commentator Jack Kerwick pays homage to his deceased father and grandfather, while also putting the holiday into conservative perspective.
From the article:
As far back as the eighteenth century, Whig parliamentarian and philosopher Edmund Burke -- “the father of modern conservatism” -- spoke to the indispensable worth to both the individual and the State of those intermediate institutions that stand between them. These institutions Burke called “little platoons,” and they include family, neighborhood, and other local communities of various sorts. It is from these non-political associations that the individual derives his or her identity, and it is through them that civic virtue is nurtured. Chief of importance to civilization itself is the “little platoon” of the family.
It is not unfair to say that conservatives have historically displayed a particularly acute awareness of the pivotal role that the institution of the family plays in the vast scheme of civilization, and it is conservatives who have been especially, even militantly, vigilant against innovative measures that potentially threaten its integrity.
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