Conservative or Liberal? Pass the Remote

While you'll never see me marching in a "pride" parade, I think gay men and lesbians should NOT be legally mistreated simply because of their sexuality and believe that they should be able to walk down city streets without fear of violent, ignorant people attacking them. I believe they deserve the same rights as everyone else.
            Some would call me a liberal because of that, but given that I'm not exactly in a warm and fuzzy place with the transgendered community my "liberal" friends think I need to move into the 21st century. Will I ever be in that "warm fuzzy" place with "women" who identify as men and "men" who identify as women? I don't know. I won't say "no" but can't say yes...yet.

I DO NOT believe that The United States of America was founded on the principal of religious freedom. I believe that the British heard about how much gold the Spanish had found in Mexico and South America and came HERE in hopes of finding it.  I believe they gave land to a bunch of fundamentalist Christians partially to get rid of them and in part to have a presence in North America just incase gold was found, they could claim they had "settlers" here.  This country was NOT founded as some religious haven and I do NOT believe that religion and government should EVER intermingle.
            Some would say based on those statements that I'm an atheist and CLEARLY the "Godless liberal" that "Patriots" love to hate, but the fact that I pray every day and attend services every Sunday and even say prayers for those whom consider themselves my enemies should deflate that argument. I honestly believe that anyone who chooses to practice a religion or wishes to practice none at all should be able to do so. Thomas Jefferson felt we as  nation should NOT have a religious litmus test and in that I agree with him.


I believe anyone who isn't a criminal, is of sound mind and has no intention of harming others should be able to buy a weapon. Some would say that makes me a conservative, but because I have no issue with registering my weapon, getting a license for it or even going through extensive background checks for it, many of my very conservative friends would give the "You're either with us or again us." argument and would treat me as a pariah. Should I have the right to defend myself and my home or to go hunting if I choose? Yes. Should I be able to own more powerful weapons than law enforcement officials? Meh?


I love my flag and respect my nation's armed forces (thanks GI bill) and rise when my anthem is played or pledge is spoken some would say that's a pretty "conservative" point of view, BUT given that I'm not under the delusion that these United States have EVER been fair to indigenous people, Africans, Catholics, Jews, Asians or Muslims. At various points in this country's history, roughly until 1964 one could kill a person of color without fear of being prosecuted.  I was born five years AFTER this country decided to stop people from lynching black men to "teach them a lesson", "keep the others in line" or just for Sunday entertainment.
       I love my country, but I'm aware that the last of the Jim Crow laws that wouldn't allow my father to go to certain schools, hold certain jobs, live in certain places or even have a cup of coffee in others were on the books in many states until the year I graduated from highschool in the late 1980s. I and a white guy, whose background is identical to mine can commit the same crime, go through the SAME court system and even face the SAME judge and I would more than likely get a FAR harsher punishment.
      I get pissed when I see people stomping on, burning or disrespecting my flag, but I respect their right to do so.  Much like my religious views, my views on the flag and our nation as a whole are my own. I don't have the right to force these views on anyone, as respect their right to not only disagree with me but to essentially piss me off.

I won't say that we Americans as a nation  have gotten "combative". This nation was BUILT on combat. Americans are ALWAYS fighting among ourselves and will always be, but sadly we've gotten to a point where everyone wants to say "you're either with us or against us" and at the end of the day we can't afford to do that if we want to remain the "great" nation we perceived ourselves as being for most of our existence. So when asked  if I'm "liberal" or "conservative" my response will remain "Pass the remote."