We all love strong conservative women–we love seeing them, we love being them, we love reading about them. So, we certainly enjoyed reading out October pick: The Mind of a Conservative Woman by Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.
Blackburn is a firebrand in the Senate, one of the few Republican women, and as of the writing of this article, one of two of the Republican women on the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee.
Therefore, you could say we were over the moon to get the chance to interview Senator Blackburn about her book, her writing process, her thoughts on conservatism.
We hope you enjoy it too!
What made you want to write this book now? How do you think it can inform conservative women as we prepare for the 2020 election and its consequences?
This book was written during 2019. Little did I know it would end up defining the contrast between liberals and conservatives for the 2020 elections but it is completely on point. Our nation needs conservative women to stand up for our families, our faith and our Judeo-Christian foundation. It is the worthy fight!
You talk in your introduction about women wanting, and deserving, more control over their lives, but you’re pro-life and support an end to abortion. How do you talk to people about these two positions co-existing, which those on the left would say are contradictory? We have lots of pro-life readers who are fighting this same fight.
My book, The Mind of a Conservative Woman, is a very intentional book. One of the points of the book is that we have the opportunity to make choices. For those who are pro-life, we say the choice should be to protect the life that is in the womb. That child deserves the opportunity to know the fullness of the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
What are your tips for raising the next generation of conservative women? How can we pass on not only our values but ensure a great future for them?
When you are teaching the next generation, you first need to listen and you have to meet them where they are. This is a must. Young women hear the left telling them that all women should be a monolithic voting block that believes that women are better off with government making their decisions.
We ensure a great future for them by making sure we preserve freedom for the next generation.
You talk in chapter 3 about how influential Hayek’s The Road to Serfdom was for you, along with books like Atlas Shrugged and Capitalism and Freedom.. Are there any other books that you recommend to people coming into conservatism or growing as young, politically-minded women?
Read everything that Margaret Thatcher and Jeanne Kirkpatrick ever wrote. Plus, read my book!
In one of your final chapters, you talk extensively about Margaret Thatcher. Do you think schools teach her enough?
No, schools gloss over Thatcher as an aberration. We need to admit that she was indeed a revolution.
What can we do to ensure conservatives of the future continue to learn about her?
Keep talking about her
Your run-in with Taylor Swift, or rather her crashing into you, made you a household name for a bit. What is the number one thing you learned–either about yourself or about politics–from that moment?
Be gracious and do not burn bridges
What would be your #1 piece of advice to a young, conservative woman who wants to enter politics?
Live your life well and learn from every situation. Your Life Equity—your wealth of knowledge and experience will serve you well as you make public policy decisions.
What are you reading right now?
A devotion book on dealing with grief, Held! By Abbey Wedgeworth. It is fabulous.
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