The More Things Change...

My dad sent me a message the other day via Facebook. He had been reading my profile and had to comment on my "Political Views", which I have listed as "Leave me alone and I'll leave you alone."

Here's what he had to say..."Your political views are very nebulous...I happen to know that you are a converted liberal, leaning toward a Goldwater conservative! Especially where your kids are concerned! HA!"

I can understand where he would get this idea, but it isn't really accurate. I am conservative with my kids, but that's not a political conservation. I just don't let them watch certain things on TV and restrict their video game playing and I don't let them say "dang" even though I do. And I'm too young to know what kind of conservative Goldwater was. Dang.

I just can't figure out if I'm a liberal conservative or a conservative liberal. I love voting, but I hate politcal parties. I've voted in every presidential election since I was old enough to vote, and I've gone back and forth between parties. I've never voted a straight party ticket for anything. How can I? I've got Dissociative Identity Disorder when it comes to politics.

I'm a Republicratic Liberalvative.



I believe that everyone should have an opportunity, but that hand-outs are the quickest way to failure. I believe that immigrants should be given a chance in this melting-pot, but they should have to follow the rules and if they don't then they don't get to stay and they don't receive any federal aid.

I believe in the right to bear arms.

I think parents should be responsible for their children and that schools are no place to learn life's lessons. I believe everyone has a right to an education, but that not everyone has a right to pass, just to fulfill a quota. I believe that the "No Child Left Behind" movement has and will continue to make U.S. Education a joke.

I believe we should conserve energy, recycle, plant trees, compost, search out efficient, renewable energy sources (especially solar energy - that helps out Dr. SmartyPants AND the environment!) and that we should open areas to more oil exploration and get our refineries up to snuff.

I believe in God and that the path to Him is through Jesus. I respect your right to disagree. I believe that being a Christian shouldn't make you intolerant of other faiths and shouldn't ever cause anyone to worry what you might think of them. I worry that "Christians" are ruining Christianity. I believe that everyone, regardless of race, creed, religion or sexual orientation, is entitled to respect and love and care. I believe that marriage, by definition, is between a man and a woman.

I believe in pledging allegiance to the flag, apple pie and Chevrolet. I don't currently have a flag (although I'd like one), I don't like eating apple pie, and I drive a Ford. SUV. That gets 16 miles to the gallon. Did I mention I recycle?

I love vegetables. I love meat.

The older I get, the worse all this gets. In high school, I wanted to be a lawyer and I took a trip to Washington DC to see how all the political business was handled so I could strap on my conservative, black-and-white-no-shades-of-gray blinders and get busy helping Reagan turn this country around. When I was in college, I was a liberal, peace-sign wearing, Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund supporting, hippie who just couldn't understand why we can't all just love each other and embrace the great cosmos that is out there, man. It's funny, because that phase also had its black-and-white-no-shades-of-gray blinders, but I just felt a little more self-righteous. Now - well, now everything has gone a few shades of gray (and I don't just mean my hair.)

So, who is the candidate for me? Honestly - I just don't know. There's one that's only 7 years older than me and that just freaks me out because I'm not old enough to run a country. The other one is a decade older than my parents and maybe that's just a little too old? I don't know - somewhere in the middle might be nice. One has too little experience and comes across (to me) as if he believes himself anointed to the kingship. The other is a bit pandering, don't you think? My candidate of choice has been out of the running for a while, now and I'm struggling.

November 4 will be not only election day, but will also mark the 20th year since I cast my first presidential ballot. It will also mark the first time that I was unsure of which candidate would receive my vote. If I could just find a box labeled Demopublic Conserveral, I'd check it and be on my way.

Peace.