The AfterThoughts News Hour With S. Denice Newton  

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  Date / Time: 4/23/2009 5:51 AM UTC

  Liberal Conservative: An Oxymoronic Thought?
  

                                As I was watching this evening's news broadcast, I was hit by a revelation I'd never given thought to before. The analyst was going on and on about political events and issues. She kept repeating the words "liberal and conservative" over and over again. As the words pierced the air and finally my ears, I became frustrated. For the very first time I was frustrated at the mere mention of the two major political parties. But why? After all, I've been intensely following politics since Mr. Obama first announced his run. I must have heard those two words at least a million times since 2007.
  
  As I searched my inner self for anything that felt remotely like an acceptable answer to my frustration, it hit me! The terms equate to division and polarization! As a registered Democrat, when I hear "liberal" I'm defensive if its followed by a negative comment; in agreement if followed by a positive one. On the other hand, when hearing "conservative" I'm in agreement when followed by a negative comment, defensive when followed by a positive one.    I'll readily admit that for a time, I really didn't know much about what the two parties actually stood for. What does it really mean to be a liberal or conservative? Personally, I've voted Democrat since I was enough to vote. Primarily because Democrats seem to reach out to minorities and the less fortunate more so than Republicans. But it was only recently that I began to understand their brand of politics and ideologies. The same for the Republican party.
  
  After some serious reflection, I began to see where this two-party political system is just as broken as the ten commandments. Liberals are in essence, "modern day Robin Hoods." This mentality allows them to help those who have a hard time helping themselves. Score 1 for the liberals.
  
  Conservatives believe in limited government intervention. Most oppose gay marriages and abortion and are devoutly religious. Score 1 for the conservatives.
  
  With the score tied, (I saw no need to go beyond 1 point) it became clear to me that both parties have something to offer. Although I am a Democrat, I don't believe in abortion and I really feel that marriage should be left to the "Adams and Eves" of the world. No apology will be given.  Jesus Christ believed in reaching out to the poor, the bound, the cast aside, and the unloved. He also made it clear that one had to serve God in order to be a beneficiary of eternal life. These are combinations of the ideologies of the two major U.S. political parties. Divided, neither side is superior. United, both sides are well-represented and could make a major impact.
  
  Any time two words are used which denote opposites, Ex: left wing/right wing, black/white, christians/muslims, truth/lie, peace/war, etc., one can expect tension, friction, and opposition. I am very fond of doves because of their grace, beauty, and the fact that they represent peace. The dove  needs both his left and right wing in order to maintain balance and soar high! If one wing is broken or inoperable, the dove cannot take flight. The dove is handicapped and ineffective. The dove's body may appear healthy and beautiful on the surface, but the broken wing causes the bird to become hopelessly grounded; He will hold one wing lower than the other, dragging the ground. The higher wing may be healthy at the moment, but alone it can only raise the body a few inches off the ground. It can not take flight. The same notion can be applied to our two party system. Currently, the Democratic party is in power. They are the healthy, lifted wing. The Republican party is broken. They are the unhealthy wing. However, they need each other's input, ideals, and true bipartisanship in order for the American body to reach its acme.  It's time to make the distinction between right and wrong, not right and left. Instead of trying to push agendas and views on the American public, the political parties need to be seeking a way to come together for real, and tackle the massive problems in the land. As long as either wing of politics is broken, the American public will always be ill-represented.
  
  AfterThoughts Signing Off...
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  • conservatives
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  • peace
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