Ironic

I find it to be quite ironic that some of my closest friends are very Republican when it comes to their political views. I don't find it ironic that they are conservative...I find it ironic that they are my closest friends, because I tend to lean to the left on most social and economic issues. Being the minority within the crew, some wonder exactly why it is that I hold these views. So here's why...

Conservative is rooted in the word "conserve", which means to keep, preserve, maintain. So on the surface, one would think that a conservative agenda would be centered on keeping, preserving, maintaining freedoms and benefits afforded to us by the Constitution and modern law. Yet with every major policy issue over which two sides argue, today's conservative party (read: Republican) wants to take freedoms and benefits away. Now all my Republican friends are reading this and turning read in the face and cursing me. But stop and consider:

We are afforded the right to privacy, which by extension grants women the right to choose whether or not to have an abortion. Whether you morally agree with the act itself is irrelevant, the law grants each individual the freedom to make that choice. Republicans want to take that freedom of choice away. (on a side note that cracks me up, their argument is based on "preservation of life" yet they support the death penalty? - but that's a debate for a different day)

Social security was first established in 1935, and has been tweaked over the years to make sure that the elderly and disabled in our country could stay out of poverty during their thinnest financial years. And while it is true that the current system needs some more tweaking in order to remain effective, the Republican solution is to dismantle the system altogether and privatize all retirement and disability savings, thereby taking away a safety net that has contributed countless amounts of good to the American economy and human decency in general.

Thanks to FDR, the groundwork was laid for several federal programs to help lower and middle class citizens handle the costs of higher education. I don't think anyone could consciously argue that an educated citizenry doesn't benefit all of society. So by extension, shouldn't a program that helps the less financially stable among us get educated and contribute to society be considered a worthwhile investment for the benefit of all? Apparently not within the ranks of the Republican party, as they want to reduce or eliminate any such programs.

One of our country's most valued rights is that of due process. If we don't have laws in place affording citizens the right to qualified legal representation, a fair trial, and judgement by their peers, aren't we on the path to tribal law and gang mentality? We'll end up stoning alleged offenders whether or not we know for sure they are guilty, because one of the villagers pointed a finger? In my mind, due process is what separates us from animals and uncivilized tribes of the whereverlands. But Republicans want to take this right away in the cases of "enemy combatants" and in the name of "the war on terror". Now I understand the severity of terrorism and our responsibility to fight it. Contrary to Republican guru Karl Rove's opinions, I do not support the terrorists and do not wish to offer them therapy. But I do know that every American citizen is afforded the right to due process, and nobody should have the ability to arbitrarily take that right away just because they would re-classify the type of criminal that said citizen is. In addition, classifying someone as a certain type of criminal, like "enemy combatant", already assumes that they are in fact a criminal, which is counter to the "innocent until proven guilty" principal that our justice system is built upon. And if we take this most basic and treasured of American rights away, aren't the terrorists accomplishing exactly what they set out to?

These are just a few of the most recent, and glaring, examples. In a nutshell, the Republican party is constantly trying to inject their specific beliefs into my life and limit the ways in which I can enjoy my American freedom. Unless I want to buy a semi-automatic machine gun - then they're all for it! Now here's my caveat: Not every Republican or conservative citizen in this country agrees with everything I attributed to their party above. I am speaking in some generalities. But stereotypes don't become stereotypes if there isn't some truth to them, do they?

So why do I "lean left" ? I believe the above, and other, freedoms and social benefits should be enjoyed by all responsible people regardless of race, creed, or religion and that we should all work to liberate each other to live to our full potential and progress as a race. Hence, I am a progressive that subsrcibes to liberal social and economic policies. I am not an ass - I am a workhorse that isn't afraid to take on a little extra load for the good of the people.