I believe...

Recently, in political conversation with close friends, upon my assertion that I am a liberal, two of my conservative friends said, "You are NOT a liberal!"  Why?  Because we all get along very well. Because we all agree that our love for each other surpasses the labels today's political milieu demands. 

But, yes, I am a liberal, for many reasons, but for one PREDOMINANT reason:  I believe we human beings have an obligation to take care of each other. How does that play out, in my personal view?

·      I believe in God, and I believe in Jesus Christ, and in Christ's teaching. But I will not try to force my spiritual convictions on others. They have a right to believe as they wish.

·      I believe in civility - that it's ok to express disagreement, but it's not ok to verbally or physically dehumanize another.

·      I believe every human being deserves health care. I would prefer that my current premiums be redirected to reassuring that people do not have to die because they can't pay insurance premiums, while insurance and pharmaceutical companies record exorbitant profits.

·      I believe in equal education for everybody.  I believe the bulk of our government's money should be directed toward books, not tanks and guns.  Our children are our future, and we owe it to them to offer the very best foundation for a stable adulthood we possibly can.  The fact that our current administration wants to abolish the Department of Education and beef up the Department of War, is repugnant to me.

·      I believe that EVERYONE is my equal, regardless of color, gender, age, political conviction, financial status, religious belief, sexual orientation, or any other factor that differentiates us from each other.  Likewise, I believe in equal opportunity for all, and I believe it is my obligation, as one who has been blessed, to fight for equal opportunity for all. It's not my right to determine whether someone "deserves" my help, but it is my responsibility, as much as I am able, to offer the tools required to be an  independent adult. I believe the fact that we have multi-billionaires, living in luxury, in the same city as people living in tents is deplorable.

·      I believe that the government has no business inserting itself into people's private lives.  For example, though I personally, could never, ever get an abortion, I believe it's not the government's business if someone else does.  Likewise, same sex couples.  Likewise, transgender individuals. When people cite the Bible's insistence that certain people should be labelled sinners, I wonder why eating pork and shellfish, wearing wool and linen, having a tattoo, committing adultery, divorcing, working on Sunday, blasphemy, worshipping graven images like Bitcoin, and other practices are given a pass?

·      I believe I have an obligation as an American citizen to honor the Constitution and the rule of law.  And if I disagree with the law, I have a right to voice my convictions, vote my convictions, and live my convictions, but not to force my convictions on others. I believe that I am just as much a patriot as any other American.  

·      I believe we have an obligation to protect children, first and foremost, and to nurture them the same way a farmer nurtures and protects his crops. Yet,  that protection and nurturance involves allowing his crops to grow and stand on their own. I draw the line at controlling other people's children. I believe it's more important to teach children how to think than what to think. The current push in education to erase American history if it makes white people look "bad" is a crime against our children.  Do we not learn from our mistakes?

These are a few of my beliefs. In truth, most of my friends who call themselves conservatives share some of my beliefs, as I do theirs. If they didn't, we would probably not be friends.  I am so disturbed at the name-calling, condemnation, and division that is destroying American families and neighborhoods today.  I'm unhappy that social media has destoyed civility.  I'm disgusted when I see a personal attack on social media, towards one who simply states their case, and I'm appalled at the blanket denunciation of individuals not in lock-step with a certain creed.  Most of all, I'm alarmed that our country's leaders, to whom we are supposed to look for guidance, are setting the example for such demeaning behavior.

Finally, I believe it's ok to voice my beliefs, and that you have the right to voice yours, but I draw the line at your humiliating and demeaning me, because in doing so, you are humiliating and demeaning yourself.