There have been many stories in the news lately about conservatives pushing to outlaw abortion, curtail (or even abolish) birth control, and do away with so many other social safety nets.  Let's think about what life would be like for many people if conservatives got their way and we all lived according to a strictly conservative ideology.

Imagine that it's the not-too-distant future and the majority of people have decided to embrace a conservative ideology.  In fact, the democratic party has long since disappeared because the conservative party has been solidly in power for over two generations.  Now imagine a man named John, who marries his high school sweetheart, Karen.  John doesn't go to college because  his father is poor and could not afford to send him. Government student loans do not exist - they went against conservative ideology.  He couldn't get a traditional bank loan because neither he nor his father made enough money (his father couldn't attend college, either, for the same reasons).  So he took a job as a construction worker for $5 per hour.  His salary is low because there are no minimum wage requirements - they, too, were against conservative ideology.  Most jobs pay low because there are so many other young people with no college degrees competing for work - and of course no minimum wage - so his employer doesn't have to pay him much.  His wife doesn't go to work, because she is expecting her first child and conservative ideology dictates that women stay home to care for the children and the home.  

Ten years go by and John and Karen are now on their 10th pregnancy - they've had a child every year since they married.  They didn't necessarily want 10 children, but they had no choice - birth control was not an option for them as conservatives.  John is working more hours than ever just to try to make ends meet.  Between rent, food, clothing, gas, medicine and doctor bills for the children, the family is barely scraping by.  He takes a second job at a factory working part time at night just to keep food on the table.   In her 5th month of pregnancy Karen suddenly develops pregnancy-related problems; the doctor tells John that she will probably die as a result of these complications.  Having an abortion to save her life is not an option, as all abortions for any reason were outlawed years ago by the conservative party.  Karen does indeed die, leaving John with 9 children under the age of 10.  He is left to figure out how to continue working two jobs while trying to take care of the children by himself.  He will be forced to choose between paying for after school care, letting them be latchkey kids, or giving up his second job (and a paycheck) to be home with them.  Upon investigation, he finds that daycare is far beyond his financial means, and he is told that it is illegal to leave 9 children under 10 at home alone, so he quits his part-time job.  Now he is unable to pay his bills and keep food on the table. The children are always hungry.  He cannot apply for food stamps or welfare, because the conservatives did away with social programs long ago.  He sits down on his porch to think about his family's future.  He already knows his children will be unable to go to college - there is just no money for it.  He has not been able to put away even one red cent for his retirement, either, and will not be likely to for another 15 years or so, when most of the kids are out of the house.  Social security no longer exists, so if he doesn't save, he will have nothing to live on when he is old.   Unfortunately, the conservative ideology hasn't left John with many options.  It did leave him with one thing, however - his second amendment rights.  Depressed and feeling desperate, he eyes the gun in its case...