My milieu is thoroughly liberal and even leftist and has been for more than two decades. Things in the news catch my attention because they resonate with my observations in my real world life. I know the way people talk about things around here. I have a sense of how liberal and lefty folks react to things, and I am used to reacting to them. I take them seriously. They are quite real to me. They irritate, amuse, and confound me on a daily basis. I feel the urge to push back.
Conservatives? I don't know them. I know a few, but they are very amiable, moderate souls who -- maybe because they are the ones who choose to live in Madison -- don't say things that resonate with the news stories I read and, consequently, I don't have as vivid a response to the thing I read about conservatives. I don't take them so seriously. They do not irritate, amuse, and confound me in that immediate and real way that would make me feel the urge to push back.
It could be said that I'm the opposite. While not "thoroughly" conservative, I do tend to lean that way, and the news items that catch my eye are usually about conservatives advocating ineffective policy and bad political moves. I'm also a pastor's daughter, so the interaction of religion and politics is interesting to me. That interaction is usually ill-advised and therefore garners my criticism. So really, even though you might have gotten the idea that I'm liberal, I'm not. If I had to label my political box, it would be "Conservative-leaning Moderate."
Not catchy enough for you? Labels are dumb anyway.
No comments:
Post a Comment