re: Why are you a conservative?
A small caveat: I differ from "classic" conservatism on a number of issues.
I arrived at my current political and ethical views over a long period of time and study, and found them not only intellectually defensible, but reflected in history and the real world. My views are not "perfected" in any sense. I'm still working on it, and probably will be for the rest of my life. Real analysis is hard work. Feeling good about something is easy.
I don't think either conservatives or liberals who operate primarily on emotions are doing themselves or others a service.