What am I??

I never really got into politics and never really understood what the differences between a liberal and conservative were. How sad since I work for the government. Then lately I think I may have stirred up some crap with my friends by posting a Global Warming blog on my MySpace. I truly did not have the intension on upsetting any one. But I got a lot of negative feedback from my little picture of an ice mountain that says "global warming is a big problem". And since then I have noticed politics beginning to dominate conversations..and honestly I cant talk politics with people..oye! But it got me thinking maybe I need to do some research on this political thing and start voting and understanding where they are coming from and why I caused so much upset.

Since our world is so into labels, I must be viewed as a Liberal because I think that change is good, Environmental issues are important and I support the small business owners. But I still believe that war can be beneficial and I am religious. So where does that leave me..I did find a blog where a girl was talking about the difference between the two labels and she made a great statement.

"The problem, in my opinion, begins when you pidgeonhole somebody into one of the two groups. Define somebody by a single word, and you set up a roadblock to actually understanding them." --Esoterica

That to me is a wonderful way of saying that we should not label each other but respect one another and each others opinions. Why cant a liberal learn something from a conservative and vise versa..do we need to put up insulting things about one point of view or the other..no that truly will not solve anything. Talking and listening to one another is the best solution. Perhaps it will not change anyones opinions but it would be a building block in understanding the person and why they feel the way they do.

I suppose if I have to be labeled then I am hands down more on the liberal side of things, but that does not mean that I am going to shut out all the conservative points of views out there or vote strictly Democrat. I think that a person should be judged strictly on what they are going to do to better the world..I will look for the person who supports recycling, helps stop animal cruelty, supports laws and regulations that help against domestic violence and child abuse, better the economy so there are more job opportunities, support educational programs, supports a healthier America, and so on.....

Bottom line, lets not insult one another for our points of view..but listen and learn.


Another good article:

The difference between liberal and conservative Brent Flynn Practically Rational

My brother, a self-professed Dittohead (Rush Limbaugh fan), forwarded me an email on Veteran's Day titled "Difference Between Liberal and Conservative." I read what turned out to be a joke in which a liberal and a conservative are put in the same hypothetical situation and certain assumptions are made about how they will react. Here's the situation: You're walking down the street with your wife and children. A dangerous looking man with a knife comes running and screaming obscenities at you. In your hand is a .357 Magnum. What do you do? In the joke, the liberals response is to understand why this man turned to violence. The pacifist liberal then wonders if the man might be content to stab only him, while his family makes an escape. Finally, the pathetic liberal decides to consult a friend to come up with a solution. In the meantime, the liberal is exterminated along with his bleeding heart family. The conservatives answer is simply to shoot the man, take his family to a baseball game, eat some hot dogs with apple pie, sing the national anthem, go to church and praise the Lord for one more day of freedom. I found the joke mildly amusing. I did have a few problems with its premise (not least of which was the part where the liberal dies). For starters, it is a simplistic breakdown of a wide spectrum of ideas into only two categories. Conservatives are given a monopoly on common sense, bravery and patriotism while liberals are portrayed as a bunch of pansies. What is even more disturbing is that there is a whole genre of conservative literature being disseminated via email with the sole intent of casting so-called "liberals" in the worst possible light. One email contains the alleged first-hand account of an interview on National Public Radio between a female host and U.S. Army General Reinwald. The General is describing a Boy Scout Troop the base is sponsoring, and mentions that the boys will be learning how to shoot a rifle. The interviewer questions whether the kids are being equipped to "...become violent killers." The General responds, "Well, you're equipped to be a prostitute, but you're not one, are you?" The zinger the general lays on the liberal reporter really puts her in her place…except the interview never happened. The fabricated story is an elaborate set-up for the big pay-off where the General makes his politically incorrect (Republicans love anything that's not PC) remarks. Another email claims that the government has been paying the Clinton's mortgage on their New York home. Allegedly, a housing unit was built at the Clinton's' house for Secret Service agents to use. The Clinton's, we are told, are charging them rent and the rate they are charging is the same amount as their mortgage payment (about $10,000). In short, we taxpayers are paying for the Secret Service addition, AND the Clinton's' mortgage! Is your blood boiling yet? Well cool down. Ex-presidents are reimbursed for any area of their house used by the Secret Service. The Clinton's were eligible to receive more than $1,000 a month, but they did not accept the reimbursement. Nevertheless, these emails are passed around to the delight of Ditto heads everywhere who apparently never bothered to check the facts. Now I'm not a big fan of the Clinton's or a blind follower of every "liberal" cause out there, but the zeal with which Republican's go after those on the left has gotten way out of hand and in some cases is based on flat-out lies. There are many more of these emails floating around in cyberspace on a variety of subjects, but when I pointed out these two examples of conservative smear campaigns and reminded my brother that he had sent me the one about the Clinton's' Secret Service reimbursement, he didn't respond. So I called him a couple of days later and asked him why he hadn't replied. He said, "You sounded like you were trying to start a fight." (emphasis mine) Oh that's right. I'm trying to start the fight. He was just sharing a funny email that he thought I might enjoy. No reason for me to get so upset. Then again, it was just a joke. Maybe I shouldn't be so touchy…but who am I fooling? I'm just an unpatriotic, overly-sensitive liberal.