So, I'm reading another one of Ralph Nichols’ diatribes and I'm wondering why he is allowed to write a column. But then I remembered the Seattle Times’ pro/con columnists, Diane Glass and Shaunti Feldman, whose severe political polarization of the left and right wing make them self-parodies, neither a mirror of most of America. And then I understood why Ralph Nichols.
When you are as far to the right as he is, everything is to the left of you, even the center.
Although my views only average out to being centrist, I can raise ire on BOTH the left and right of the political spectrum, being a pro-choice, pro-labor, pro-education, pro-death penalty military retiree who's attended more than her share of gun shows.
I once learned something politically insightful from a former minister at my church who used to be a political speech writer before being called to a spiritual path. He had been a hired gun (his term) for the highest bidder, regardless of party. He was confident enough of his writing to have transcripts of his sermons available in the lobby during fellowship.
The lesson from my conversations with him was that you could put a "liberal" or "conservative" spin on almost any issue to the point the terms were downright elusive.
Environment? CONSERVation and CONSERVative share the same origins and the dictionary definition of conservative implies that we are conscientious stewards of our resources. It's even in the Boy Scout Manual.
See? I've just made environmentalism a conservative position.
Abortion? In the past, the doctrinal conservative position for other personal issues was to prohibit government interference in one's individual affairs. And what's more personal than the function of one's own body? Now THAT's a conservative position. It's just that easy.
Attachment to liberal and conservative then becomes tricky to defend without eroding your soul by accepting bundled doctrine like so much Microsoft software.
To me, the act of the highest American political integrity would be to vote according to what would forward the interests and rights of We the People, since We are who the Constitution is based on. Whatever side of the political aisle each issue takes you is whatever side it takes you.
We are blessed to live in a state that allows that freedom.
Laura Standley
Des Moines
