The situation playing out in Seattle frustrates me. Frustrates me on two levels:
- What I consider basic human rights are being denied to a group of people.
- Conservatives are continually alienating whole demographics who would otherwise embrace us.
Supporters of gay rights were buoyed by first-day returns that showed Referendum 71 leading by a narrow margin Tuesday evening.
…
The results were disappointing to religious conservatives, whose aggressive efforts to get the expanded partnership law thrown out had gained momentum in recent months.
I. Simply. Don’t. Get. It.
As conservatives, we hold that individual Liberty is the cornerstone to our version of government. Liberty extended to all living people. And personal responsibility from those same people. In that vein, extending civil liberties, civil rights should be the our rallying call. This issue is NOT a Liberal issue, it is a Conservative issue. We have the opportunity to take this away from the Democrats, make it our own and pull millions of people to our side.
But we don’t. And we continue to blow it.
Pino:
As you know, conservative. does. not. equal. libertarian.
Conservatives do not advocate more freedom or liberty generally but rather freedom or liberty in certain spheres, such as business decisions and gun ownership. (Liberals similarly pick and choose when “freedom” is a good thing). Conservatives are not above using the coercive power of government to enforce their “traditional” views, even in areas where choices and behaviors lead to no harm for others.
Conservatives do not advocate more freedom or liberty generally
I suspect, rather I know, you are right. But this is where American conservatism is failing us all. Extending Liberty generally is the right thing to do AND it would, practically, open the “test.”