I consider myself to be a conservative for the following reasons. I am convinced that our form of Government is so structured that if you work hard, get an education and live within the laws you can be a success. Don't try to tell me that if you are from a poor family or had a rough neighborhood you can't succeed. I'll match Dog Patch there on the east side of Wichita with about any neighborhood. I don't think the Government needs to jump in to protect my liberties or spend one more damn dime to make things better. Inf act, I would bet that if the MG and I were in charge we could strangle quite a few dimes out of that budget. She would spend it on education and I would want to return it to the citizens and let schools be funded at the local level.
I understand passionate liberals that believe that our government needs to do more to help others. I have a sister that stood on the street corner in Lawrence and shouted against the horrible war for Oil. I don't agree with her, but I understand taking a stance and to be willing to be there when they feel the need to protest. The side that I really don't get is those people that hate conservatives but are unwilling to call themselves liberals.
I struggle with the discussion that the Republican Party can't find room for conservatives and moderates. The history of our country is ripe with politicians that were elected from the middle and governed from a more extreme position. One side that keeps us from joining together is the right to life side. I think abortion is a horrible way to conduct birth control but I absolutely hate the thought that our government needs to pass more laws to intercede in the decision between a woman and her doctor. How can anyone claim to have conservative beliefs and want more government intrusion?
'Cides, the current law is on their side boys and girls. If you don't like something, get in the fray and change it. Don't tell me I don't have the right to disagree. I fought for my right to own guns and have free speech. Mess with those rights and you will find me less than friendly to your side.
MUD
I don't hate conservatives, but I strongly dislike some. Yet I am not a liberal. I guess I'm conservative leaning where I'm conservative leaning and liberal leaning where I'm liberal leaning. I like to think of myself as a moderate (and therefore more reasonable than either extreme), but sometimes I can be pretty opinionated and unyielding in one direction or another. Mostly I don't understand the people who are extremists in either direction. Those are the people I often dislike--the ones who are unable to see a different position or anything good in the other side. It's often the overly religious conservatives and the irreligious liberals that piss me off. They're the ones who like to call people like me "fence sitters" and unwilling to commit. No, I'm not unwilling to commit to what I believe, I just believe something different than they do. I think compromise and finding middle ground are a good way to do business when those don't violate my core beliefs. I think it's foolish to think any one side is ever going to get (or should get) their way and failure to reach reasonable compromise is why congress is so often in gridlock. And that is a waste of time and tax dollars that is inexcusable.
ReplyDeleteYou hit on one of my points squarely. Believe me when I say I respect your freedom to be whatever you think you are. Why aren't you a Liberal or a conservative? Moderate means that you are somewhere in the middle and I have trouble being there. There is a reason we have storng feelings and that we all respect individual liberties. I believe we already have all we need and liberals think we need more Government ot make sure we have enough. I think that we are on the verge of having all the Government we can stand. At least it is all we can afford. MUD
ReplyDeleteMUD, I love you, and you know I do. But when you wrote...
ReplyDelete"I think abortion is a horrible way to conduct birth control but I absolutely hate the thought that our government needs to pass more laws to intercede in the decision between a woman and her doctor."
...you really lost me. Abortion is MURDER, pure and simple. My beloved wife of 30 years was the product of an adulterous relationship. She was adopted at a very early age. After she found her birth mother about 10 years ago, she discovered that if abortion had been available in 1960, she would had probably fallen prey to the knife...
Pam and I have worked with many post-abortion girls over the years. To say that abortion is a "decision between a woman and her doctor" really minimizes, and discounts the little guy or gal that got suctioned out (murdered) before it had a chance to be a good wife, or husband...good mother, or father...good chef, or bad chef.
Abortion is MURDER, plain and simple. I'm a Libertarian myself. I believe in liberty for the individual. But I learned from my 7th Grade History teacher that "our rights stop at the nose of the other guy."
Too many "Doctors" (cough cough) have killed too many children. I weep over each one. (I mean the babies, not the murdering, bastard "doctors").