Be kind at heart....for everyone you meet has their own battle to fight.........

(sigh) I understand your sentiments ever so strongly, dearest friend! As far as I'm concerned, generic labels such as "conservative" and "liberal" don't make justice of how diverse and unique we all are and think essentially, as most candidates in recent memory who claim they're the arbiters of "conservative values" or "liberal ideals" actually ACT and make decisions that completely contradict what they claim. Take the "compassionate conservatism" soundbyte, for instance. While I wholeheartedly KNOW millions of conservative-leaning individuals like yourself across this nation are truly compassionate and mindful, in the White House and Congressional sense, how can a burgeoning national debt and trade deficits, the cutting in food stamps and VA funding, any passive approval of waterboarding, extraordinary renditions and warrantless wiretapping, and a war of choice that has costed almost 4,000 of our own young men and women's lives be considered conservative?

Rather, I simply believe, under the traditional definition of both terminologies, I happen to hold both views that are deemed "conservative", including the notions of limited government, state rights, fiscal responsibility and that change isn't all bad but it must come naturally rather than be spontaneous, as well as believe in some values that are considered "liberal" under traditional definition, particularly limitations on the power of government, the free exchange of ideas and individual rights.

I'm more in agreement with the GOP establishment on immigration, Second Amendment rights, sentencing (except on corporate crime, where I believe they're very soft) and school prayer, while I lean Democratic on foreign policy (I believe the neoconservatives have hijacked most of the GOP establishment, and the Democrats currently are more realistic on foreign policy), the environment (the conservation movement was founded and driven by conservatives, yet the GOP since 1976 has become tainted with big oil interests and ideologues), civil liberties and health care.

But ultimately, I believe such labels are irresponsible and fail to make justice of how we're all unique and individualistic as Americans, and I'm disinclined to stand rank-in-file with any particular party for that reason as a registered Independent, as well as my belief that both parties are failing this country in certain respects.

God Bless You for speaking your heart out here, and I hope millions more can find the courage to bravely speak their independent minds, even if their voices shake! You have such a beautiful heart, sweet James, thank you for sharing!



May love and light always shine upon you!

Love,
Noah Eaton

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other"

Mother Teresa