English: Rush Limbaugh at CPAC in February 2009. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I live in a very conservative area in the Midwest in the middle of cow country. The problem is, I’m a moderate to strong liberal, depending on the issue at hand.
For example, I do believe that there should be government spending for issues of public interest where there wouldn’t be sufficient private sector funding because the interest is too vast. Some areas include education, public safety, transportation, etc. That doesn’t mean that I oppose public sector collaboration with the private sector to generate more revenue so these areas are adequately funded and maintained. But I do believe that government has a large role in spending.
I also believe that the private market needs to be regulated. We need safety measures to ensure that disasters such as the Great Depression do not strike again. Unfortunately, banks and corporations tend to engage in risky behavior, or decreasing their workers’ paychecks to get more profit. When corporations and business make more profit, that extra money does not “trickle down” to the everyday man or woman just trying to learn a living. If anything, these people feel less of an income because of the practices of businesses and banks.
As I said, the problem is I’m a liberal living in cow country. How do I know it’s conservative? The only news station around here besides NPR broadcasts Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Glenn Beck. So if I want to hear the news, but I don’t want to listen to NPR, my option is Rush. And I usually don’t agree with his views.
In another example, during the last election, almost every house on my street had signs for the Romney/Ryan campaign, or some kind of statement for the conservative platform. My favorite was, “Take Our Country Back!” I also saw a lot of “Pray to End Abortion.” But it would not have gone well if I put up an Obama/Biden sign.
But it’s usually best to just keep my opinions to myself. When you don’t side with the majority of people around you, you don’t want to get in trouble. It does make you the odd duck out though.
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© Amy Burney, Amy’s Fantastical Writings
Amy's Fantastical Writings 