I had the exciting opportunity to attend the Values Voter Summit 2011 here in Washington, DC last month. I was there to represent the non-profit organization I intern for, to talk with people and raise awareness about the harms of pornography and obscenity on individuals, children, marriages and families.
Each year, hundreds of conservatives (and some disguised liberals) attend the Values Voter Summit. Some are reporters for newspapers, television stations and magazines. Some attendees are affiliated with conservative organizations who have come to get the word out. Others are vendors selling buttons that say things like "Nobama 2012." And yet others are moms and dads, college students, business men and women, and even kids.
They are all there to network, to learn more about what is happening in America, and to brush shoulders with big names like Mitt Romney, Newt Gringrich, Rick Perry and Herman Cain.
Initially, I felt like a political tourist of sorts. The VVS really is the conservative's Disneyland. I joined the giddy crowds as I walked into the conference halls at the elegant and majestic Omni Hotel. But instead of tracking down Pluto or Jafar for a meet-and-greet photo op, I shook hands with GOP Candidates like Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich. Okay, I may have taken a picture, too.
While I care immensely about conservative social issues, I've never been around so many people who so passionately care about the same issues I do. It was exciting and inspiring. We became good friends with the reps at the booth right across from us, DEFUND Planned Parenthood. My eyes were really opened to a lot of problems I didn't even know existed. I was inspired by all the wonderful people who are doing something about them.
The Takeaway: America is full of both really good people. Taking action is something we CAN and MUST do. The political sphere of influence is not as far out of our reach as we think it is. Despite the evidence of declining morals we see on tv and read about in the newspaper, there are plenty of Americans out there who believe in God, who respect the sanctity of life, who believe in marriage, and who want the Fed to quit handicapping U.S. citizens with hand-out programs that lack accountability.
