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Thank you dad-blogs for all you do to allow the voices of the “everyparent” to be heard. In that spirit, since I noticed the conservative section has some contribution and the liberal section is still bare, I would like to add my two cents or six cents or whatever you think its worth to the liberal side.
I often have trouble expresses my political views in a calm and coherent manner so, when I came upon the following piece in the Los Angeles Jewish Journal (yes, unbelievers read all kinds of things), I copied it down. This is a response by Alan Dershowitz to Dennis Prager when Prager asked him why he doesn’t join Dennis on the “other side.” I feel it quite clearly and succinctly summarized what I believe as a liberal and a democrat.
“My old friend Dennis Prager can’t understand why I don’t leave the left to join him on the right. Let me explain.
I am a civil libertarian, centrist liberal who supports most of the policies of mainstream Democrats and opposes many of the policies of the Republican Party and of conservatives. I support progressive taxation. I oppose tax breaks to the rich, even though I am relatively affluent. I support the right of working people and unions, though I oppose efforts by some unions to deny their members anonymous voting rights. I strongly support the separation of church and state. Indeed, I would build a wall of separation even higher than it is now, consistent with the principles of Jefferson and Madison. I strongly oppose efforts by many Republicans and conservatives to lower the wall, to Christianize America and to argue that atheists and agnostics are less moral than believers in traditional religion. I strongly favor stem cell research and complete equality for homosexuals. I support a woman’s right to choose, under most circumstances. I favor a broad reading of the constitutional rights of those accused of crime, even terrorism, and oppose efforts, whether by Republicans or Democrats, to circumvent the Constitution or to operate beneath the radar screen of accountability. I strongly favor our system of checks and balancesand oppose the Republican concept of the ‘unitary executive.’ I favor a maximalist view of freedom of speech and oppose efforts to censor pornography, blasphemy or other ‘objectionable’ forms of speech. I favor strict regulation of gun ownership, consistent with the Second Amendment. I favor universal health care consistent with maintaining the high quality of medicine. I support the kind of free college education afforded me at the New York City college system.”
(Back to me) – This is what I told my brother when he said well, “McCain has more wartime experience so I may vote for him even though I have liberal values.” This is what I tell people that vote for the person and not the party. You are always voting for the party. You are voting for a value system that is broader than just one person. If you are a true, liberal, you cannot vote for a conservative and vice versa.
I would add and expand upon what Dershowtiz said to make this timelier. I also believe profiting off people’s lives and health is unethical. Although I believe medical professionals should get paid what they are worth, making a profit on people’s lives is not consistent with my moral values. And, although my friend who works in the insurance industry has opened my eyes to many problems and convinced me that our woes are not just the fault of insurance companies, the solutions Republicans have for health care: tort reform, expanding the power of health care companies and medical suppliers by limiting competition and regulation amongst other things are no solutions at all.
I also believe that the culture of superficiality and materialism, the deifying of the corporation and the almighty dollar in this country is also not consistent with my ethics. It seems the conservatives are first and foremost concerned with corporate welfare and individual welfare is a not-so-close second. This is exemplified by the Supreme Court’s recent decision to declare a corporation is an individual by giving them the right to spend whatever they want on political campaigns. If you thought your vote wouldn’t be heard before because of lobbying money and corporate influence, it matters even less now unless you vote consistently with corporations and big money. They say their decision was about “free” speech. What an ironic play on words.
I believe nobody on the Supreme Court is completely objective and as long as we have a conservative court and, especially, if the other two branches of government are conservative, the constitution will slowly be disassembled and re-written; corporations will run supreme, capital punishment will continue, science will be attacked, both evolution and environmental science, separation of church and state will be in jeopardy and our rights to our own bodies will be slowly whittled away amongst other things.
Finally, I am so grateful to this country for protecting the right to think and feel whatever we want. This is my liberal “talking points memo” – At least the abridged version.
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written by BellaDaddy, January 27, 2010
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written by Daddy Files, January 27, 2010
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written by Spuds, January 27, 2010
It will be interesting to see some of the responses.
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written by Joeprah, January 27, 2010
I can say though that corporate greed is one thing I can totally agree with you on. It's absurd how far this has gotten and how much these folks are earning. In my mind, I always think of the Bible--it's easier for a rich man to walk through the eye of a needle than to get into heaven. Each extra million these guys are earning every quarter--every year, every bonus makes me sick. This money could be doing good around our country. Think of the Rockefellers and how they spent their money--they invested back into the community and were philanthropic. Anyways, enough said. Carry on.
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written by eyesofbabes, January 27, 2010
I too, have been ready for the vitriol. But, I think I’ll give people the benefit of the doubt and hope for the best. But that’s no fun, is it?
@Spuds, I agree with you about beliefs and emotions. As an atheist, debating my ultra-religious brother’s beliefs is not very productive but we talk a lot and I think expressing my own beliefs and hoping he takes a second look is important while respecting his right to believe what he will. But, as far as the constitution, I totally agree, we need to be objective.
@Joeprah, with family responsibilities and two jobs, it is hard to find time to even do Dads In The Mix but I know many parents can relate so I will continue to post here and in different places when I can.
I may not be religious but the Good Book does certainly express some universal truths – greed as sin is one of them. We do have some modern day Rockefellers like the Gates’ and George Soros to name a few but the way money controls our government and our society is frightening. I would be careful though about criticizing the greedy too much – you might be labeled a Socialist ;-)
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written by Spuds, January 27, 2010
Anyway, if you want to read my dispassionate and chock-full-o'-facts response you can stop by my blog. I will be posting it to Dad Blogs tomorrow and will be putting the forward to my readers to Dad Blogs.
Spud likes to debate!!! (No drama please!)
http://blirred-reality.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-response-to-dad-blogs-article-my.html
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written by eyesofbabes, January 28, 2010
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written by Spuds, January 28, 2010
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written by Zerzix, January 28, 2010
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written by Daddy Files, January 28, 2010
I completely disagree with your contention that the bashing comes from the left. I went on the offensive after my parenting skills were needlessly called into question in the midst of a political discussion. And more than one person recognized the inappropriateness of that. But don't try to pretend that some of the conservative dads, like yourself, haven't been insulting and partic**ated in bashing. That's just disingenuous.
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written by eyesofbabes, January 29, 2010
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written by eyesofbabes, February 03, 2010
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written by bogart, February 27, 2010
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written by eyesofbabes, March 01, 2010
Thanks for reading my post and I sympathize. I have conservatives in my family as well.
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