Unique Average American

• protect us from Janet Jackson's or Lady Liberty's t*t
• make sure we recite the pledge of allegiance in school
• keep the terminally ill from the evil ganja weed
• have us sign abstinence oaths instead of use contraception
• not offend our innocent ears with sex education in the classroom
• cordon protesters into free-speech zones
• hide the coffins of our war dead
• delete references to global warming in NASA science reports
• mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in public buildings
• silence unpatriotic talk in the media
• unplug soldier bloggers in a war zone
• punish the whistle blowers
• reprogram gays
• eliminate evolution from the curriculum or at least put in on par with the "theory" or intelligent design
• classify record numbers of government documents
  

My screen name aside, let's look at these subjects that Indie has brought up.

It there truth to what AA says?
1) Who wants to control who can marry whom?  Liberals or Conservatives?

Answer. Conservatives do indeed want to protect a right and a privilege that has for centuries been afforded those who wish to be joined in matrimony for the purpose of a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman through both the legal and spiritual melding of their hearts and souls, finances and names. You can live with and love whomever you want, we simply do not agree with making a mockery of the word marriage as it has always been defined. This is a Conservative trait of which I am quite proud.

2) Who wants to restrict First Amendment Rights by banning the burning of the American flag?  Liberals or Conservatives?

Answer. Conservatives believe that the first amendment is as important as the other 9 in the bill of rights and have defended it for over 200 years. That a symbol of our great country should need to be desecrated for you to enjoy your free speech is akin to yelling fire in a crowded theater. While you are free to do it, there are consequences to those actions. If we allow the burning of the flag then why not allow the shooting of Bald Eagles so long as it is done as a political statement or the threatening of a sitting President?

3) Who wants to control life and death decisions between a husband and wife? Liberals or Conservatives?

Answer. Conservatives believe highly in just such a right between a husband and wife, but oppose it when there are legal family members willing to take on the responsibility for the care of a person like Terry Schivo (sp) especially when the now ex-husband as in this case no longer wants the responsibility. Terry’s family, mother and father, were willing and able to care for her for the rest of her life. Her ex-husband did not, and should not have been made to do so, but killing her was nothing more than an easy out for him, not the rest of her family who still believed there was hope. So I ask you Indie, at what point does that right diminish, the divorce, his death, hers?

4)  Who wants to allow warrantless wiretapping of Americans?  Liberals or Conservatives

Answer. Conservatives believe that in the aftermath of the attacks on this country that to not employ every kind of safeguard would have been a violation of the oath of duty. The fact that there were members of congress briefed on this very issue makes most believe that the action taken was legal as Congressional oversight, although limited, was employed by the Executive Branch. Those who knew made no argument against it at the time until it appeared that it might make a good political issue, laying aside any protective measures it might have and probably did ensure. To date not one American has been brought up on false charges based on information gathered from this legal activity.

5)  Which President holds the record for circumventing the Constitution and intent of laws via signing statements?  A Liberal or Conservative?

Answer. What Liberals call circumventing the Constitution can also be seen as ensuring that the Executive branch of the future, while in the act of carrying on the War on Terror as it was announced by President Bush from the beginning would be a decade or longer, would not be hamstrung against its own responsibility to ensure the safety of this country by ill conceived laws requiring time consuming and possibly intelligence leaking inquiries to take precedence over the very real threats in the world today and into the foreseeable future.

6) Who wants to dictate what a women can do with her own reproductive rights?  Liberals or Conservatives?

Answer. While the self centered will focus merely on the rights of the woman, who has championed the rights of the unborn child? This would have been a better worded question. And who has fought for the rights of the other half of the DNA involved in the creation of that unborn child, Conservatives. While they are your reproductive body parts, they become the place where both you and the fathers child is being nourished so they are no longer yours alone as you have openly agreed to share that space with another human being. You have all the rights in the world to decide what to do with them when they are again yours alone. While conservatives do not agree with the public financing of abortions they also do not agree with the public funding of anti abortion groups or organizations. But in the words of a liberal, it is a fairness doctrine issue in the end. If you finance one side you should finance the other side too.

7)  Was it a Liberal or Conservative President who said "It is un-acceptable to think...."
HINT:  He is living in the White House.  

Answer. This isn’t a question of Liberal vs. Conservative. The man mis-spoke as any numbers of politicians have done over the years.

8) Was it a Conservative or Liberal administration that decided that they could put you on a “watch list” when you want to fly, but don’t have to let you see why you are on it or allow you to challenge it?

Answer. This question is similar to #4 and that answer is more than enough coverage on this subject.

On to the meat of the article, I agree with your next statement that the Republicans in Congress have over spent and that the President has signed the bills making both party to irresponsible spending habits.

Next you covered the opinions of both Bush and Cheney on the war on terror. I agree that a President should be factual with this information. I also agree that Cheney should not have made such statements at the time without concrete explanations of what he meant by “last throes”. It was clearly counter to the President’s assessment that the war on terror could last a generation.  However, Bush has been clear that progress has been made and has quantified it on occasion. The repairs to much of Iraq’s infrastructure i.e. the pipelines that supply the country with most of its revenue are running, schools have been built, hospitals that save more people than their pre-fall of Saddam counterparts due to being staffed with the proper modern medical equipment. While there may not be as many hospitals in Iraq as there were, those prior to Saddam’s fall would hardly qualify as health facilities by modern American standards.

To the statement about emotional pleas during an election you might recall that both parties are searching for a portion of the other side to join them come Election Day, thus appealing to the emotional core of those on the left would just be good and practical salesmanship regardless of what side does it.

Your last two paragraphs are related to each other and the subject of conservatives placing worth on people based on income or possessions. This is a question of self worth. Nobody can make you worth more or less to society. Only your own inferior beliefs in yourself can make you worth less. Those who choose to work less hours to be with there children instead of placing them in the care of others are to be applauded. However to make the choice to have children and then expect others to pay for their raising is to obligate others to what can be considered you poor judgment. In addition, someone who has made it clear in public that they are making a run for a U.S. Senate seat and the ouster pf a sitting Senator should understand that they are making themselves part of the debate by introducing themselves into that forum.

Finally, success is an individual thing. My parents are not rich, but they panned for their retirement and are spending it in relative financial security knowing that they raised three children who can take care of themselves and not need their assistance. At the same time they also know that should a catastrophe hit them and wipe out their retirement those same children are in positions (all three of them) to either pick up the slack or take over completely as their financial safety net. They are successful, although not by many people’s standards as they are not millionaires.

Whether a Doctor living in a fine house purchased through long hours and hard work, or a forklift driver living in a modest home purchased under the same conditions, both can be seen as successful and as Indie has said neither should be ridiculed for their situation and I agree. Where conservatives and liberals disagree is when those same people, all average and unique at the same time, make poor choices and them expect others to share in their pain and pay for their recovery. We have in this country a simple creedo, an equality of opportunity. What we do not have is a guarantee of equality of outcome.

This might well be the great dividing line between these two schools of thought.

Answer. Conservatives do indeed want to protect a right and a privilege that has for centuries been afforded those who wish to be joined in matrimony for the purpose of a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman through both the legal and spiritual melding of their hearts and souls, finances and names. You can live with and love whomever you want, we simply do not agree with making a mockery of the word marriage as it has always been defined. This is a Conservative trait of which I am quite proud.

So yes, conservatives want government to do the job of the church and tell you who can marry and who can't.

2) Who wants to restrict First Amendment Rights by banning the burning of the American flag?  Liberals or Conservatives?

Answer. Conservatives believe that the first amendment is as important as the other 9 in the bill of rights and have defended it for over 200 years. That a symbol of our great country should need to be desecrated for you to enjoy your free speech is akin to yelling fire in a crowded theater. While you are free to do it, there are consequences to those actions. If we allow the burning of the flag then why not allow the shooting of Bald Eagles so long as it is done as a political statement or the threatening of a sitting President?

So yes, conservatives will control your ability to burn a piece of cloth (that you own), and say the act is as dangerous as endangering the lives of humans or killing endangered species.

3) Who wants to control life and death decisions between a husband and wife? Liberals or Conservatives?

Answer. Conservatives believe highly in just such a right between a husband and wife, but oppose it when there are legal family members willing to take on the responsibility for the care of a person like Terry Schivo (sp) especially when the now ex-husband as in this case no longer wants the responsibility. Terry’s family, mother and father, were willing and able to care for her for the rest of her life. Her ex-husband did not, and should not have been made to do so, but killing her was nothing more than an easy out for him, not the rest of her family who still believed there was hope. So I ask you Indie, at what point does that right diminish, the divorce, his death, hers?

So yes, conservatives will take the place of the spouse in private family matters and control the outcome.

4)  Who wants to allow warrantless wiretapping of Americans?  Liberals or Conservatives

Answer. Conservatives believe that in the aftermath of the attacks on this country that to not employ every kind of safeguard would have been a violation of the oath of duty. The fact that there were members of congress briefed on this very issue makes most believe that the action taken was legal as Congressional oversight, although limited, was employed by the Executive Branch. Those who knew made no argument against it at the time until it appeared that it might make a good political issue, laying aside any protective measures it might have and probably did ensure. To date not one American has been brought up on false charges based on information gathered from this legal activity.

So yes, conservatives will ignore the Constitution and the FISA Act and listen in anyway.

5)  Which President holds the record for circumventing the Constitution and intent of laws via signing statements?  A Liberal or Conservative?

Answer. What Liberals call circumventing the Constitution can also be seen as ensuring that the Executive branch of the future, while in the act of carrying on the War on Terror as it was announced by President Bush from the beginning would be a decade or longer, would not be hamstrung against its own responsibility to ensure the safety of this country by ill conceived laws requiring time consuming and possibly intelligence leaking inquiries to take precedence over the very real threats in the world today and into the foreseeable future.

So yes, conservatives will permit the President to selectively ignore the laws passed by Congress (and this wise President obviously knows best).

6) Who wants to dictate what a women can do with her own reproductive rights?  Liberals or Conservatives?

Answer. While the self centered will focus merely on the rights of the woman, who has championed the rights of the unborn child? This would have been a better worded question. And who has fought for the rights of the other half of the DNA involved in the creation of that unborn child, Conservatives. While they are your reproductive body parts, they become the place where both you and the fathers child is being nourished so they are no longer yours alone as you have openly agreed to share that space with another human being. You have all the rights in the world to decide what to do with them when they are again yours alone. While conservatives do not agree with the public financing of abortions they also do not agree with the public funding of anti abortion groups or organizations. But in the words of a liberal, it is a fairness doctrine issue in the end. If you finance one side you should finance the other side too.

So yes, conservatives will assume that when you openly agreed to share the womb with another human being, it also includes sharing that uterus with the federal government, because conservatives know better than the father, mother, and doctor what to do with that space.

7)  Was it a Liberal or Conservative President who said "It is un-acceptable to think...."
HINT:  He is living in the White House.  

Answer. This isn’t a question of Liberal vs. Conservative. The man mis-spoke as any numbers of politicians have done over the years.

Oh my!  I think AA's got us here.  Maybe our President did misspeak?  Or maybe it was a Freudian slip?  In any case, conservatives will control your ability to unpatriotically question your President.

8) Was it a Conservative or Liberal administration that decided that they could put you on a “watch list” when you want to fly, but don’t have to let you see why you are on it or allow you to challenge it?

Answer. This question is similar to #4 and that answer is more than enough coverage on this subject.

So yes, conservatives will control your ability to move about freely without proving just cause, and you will have no power to fight it.