What Does It Really Mean to Be Radical or Conservative?

It is interesting that most folks think a person has to be either Liberal or Conservative (or, there are still a few times when Moderate is still acceptable) in everything. It’s like you are not allowed to pick and choose which side you take on various issues. No one has to believe in the full party line. I have a good friend who is a knee jerk liberal, a true believer, and when I mentioned that I found him conservative in some ways, he was aghast. Yet he dresses conservatively, no bright colors; he does not get excited and remains pretty mellow; he handles his money conservatively (and still gives to causes he believes in) and doesn’t risk losing it in hopes of getting a lot more. He drives conservative cars, does sports that are not the least risky. So, I pointed this out and he thought, then decided I had a point.

 I consider myself a fiscal conservative and see no problem being more liberal socially than I am financially. So many cannot understand this. And I have no problem not taking sides on certain issues, like tattoos or trans stuff. The thought befuddles me (why would anybody want….?) but then I think, “Well they’re not hurting me or anyone else and if that's what they want, why should I judge?” Which is actually a conservative  (small “c”) way of thinking, one that Liberals have adopted. I decided that those things were not  a fight I had a dog in. Either way the scale eventually tips on those issues won’t change my life.  

Also, I  feel conservation should be considered essentially a Conservative thing.  Think of the root word there. Conservationists are trying to bring us back to the world that used to be. Radicals are those that deny climate change, "drill, baby, drill" and so on. The radicals are those who are buying into the changes in our physical world.  It’s another example of how Right and Left adopt positions that are actually counter to the way they think they roll.

Political parties are making a mistake in pushing people to be all right or all left. It sounds nice and neat for everyone to adhere to only one side in their thinking, but that's not how most people are. Our thoughts differ.  What the nation needs instead is more moderates,  people who are willing to look at the other side and see if they have a point. And not be afraid to cede it if they do. Cooperation and compromise gets us further ahead as a country than confrontation does. Not much of the first two of these going around any more as people continue to allow themselves to be pushed to one side or the other. We are leading ourselves, rushing, towards a social civil war. And that's gotta be stopped if we are to remain a nation with a common culture and values.