From: matta@lclark.edu (Matt Alexander)
Subject: Re: Re. Integrity
Organization: Lewis & Clark College, Portland OR
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 16:44:38 GMT

In article <carlson.722007837@cwis> carlson@cwis.unomaha.edu (Brian D. Carlson) writes:
>
>	BTW I am a conservative, and I know why I am a conservative. My
>parents are both liberals. The majority of my family are liberals. I
>just don't agree with the idea that the state is the answer to all our
>problems. I don't think that the state should fund any and all abortions
>for whatever reason they may be wanted. I believe that people should 
>have incentive for hard work, and those who don't work hard shouldn't be
>patted on the hand with entitlements that cost our government (that's
>you and I) the majority of our budget.

  Well Brian, I agree with you, but I'm sure not a conservative.
If the above is what you take to be the liberal position, I think you're
mistaken. The funding of "any and all abortions for whatever reason" is a
severe exaggeration of the pro-choice position. And as far as government
control of our lives, well, I didn't personally know the cops who raided my
friends' house looking for illegal vegetables, but I don't think they
were liberals.
  As far as misinterpretation of positions goes, don't worry, I'm sure we've
all done our share of that. (Of course, if Buchannan had a satirical meaning
behind "women and blacks are genetically inferior", he's a far more clever
man than I...)

  You know, everyone _says_ they want less state involvment, but what they
really want is limited intervention for different reasons. Consider the
following violently generalized example: Most liberals want the government
to enforce enviromental protection laws, and to actively fight
discrimination. Many conservatives want the government to outlaw abortion,
control what kind of recreation chemicals we use, occasionally use the
milliary to defend economic interests, bail out their son's failing S and L
banks with taxpaye(OKAY, okay, so I'm a _little_ biased, I'll try and
control it..) Anyway, my point is the only groups around seriously against
state control are the anarchists, and that's a different newsgroup entirely.

>	I know why I am conservative, and for one to judge someone as
>conservative only because of Mommy and Daddy is a well thought out slam,
>but why not think about why they have really chosen to adopt a

True, true. But then, you know about those wacky college newspaper editors.

>conservative philosophy. The reason education produces a lot of liberals
>is because (at least in my experience) there is a lot of liberal bias in
>text books, and in lobby organizations (NEA for example). 
>
>	I have had more history teachers who were such diehard femenists 
>that they couldn't actually teach the subject matter because they were 
>too busy trying to rewrite the past to make women the hunters and men the 
>gatherers, than I have had conservative teachers who couldn't teach because 
>they were trying to push their views on their students.
>
>	Anyway, I'm not opposed to someone being liberal, but I find it
>useless to hear(read) those in these groups that attack opposing viewppoints
>with gaping holes void of logic. (you're stupid! well she started it.
>did not. did so etc...) I know there are liberals who have really 
>contemplated why they are that way. 

   I assume by this you mean that some people hold their positions through
personal belief rather than knee-jerk conditioning? Why thank you.

>	The one thing I don't understand is this. If liberalism is the
>ultimate anser to all of our countries ills, why are the majority of
>liberals I have met bitter and seemingly miserable people, while the
>majority of conservatives I have met are easy going people who seem much
>more happy with who they are in life?

  Maybe that's your experience, but I personally have a hard time seeing
Pat Roberts, Lon Mabon or Jessie Helms as "happy-go-lucky" kinda guys.

>	Any answers I heaar like 'blah blah blah and their too stupid to
>be miserable blah blah blah' I'll just ignore. I'm interested in the
>opinions of people like Slartibartfast (Anyone who can design award
>winning fjords has got my attention)
>
> Brian D. Carlson

  Well, good. I'm glad to see that folks here can carry on a decent...
(Heywaitaminute.. differing opinions, civil conversation, low flames..
Hey, who are you people and what have you done with my newsgroup!)

-- Matt Alexander
Newsgroups: alt.fan.dan-quayle