December 6, 2012 by David K. Sutton
On Social Issues, Conservatives Embrace The Counter Slant
Have you noticed when it comes to conservatives, their reasons for being against social progress are secondary to the conflict? Put another way, many conservatives find comfort in defining good vs. evil, ally vs. foe.
Conservatives instinctively embrace the counter slant on social issues. They choose the angle that is guaranteed to pit them against their predetermined foe, Democrats and liberals. Only after embracing this counter slant are conservatives able to move on to concocted arguments and talking points intended to fortify their chosen stance. What follows is a million and one contradictory defenses with the singular intention of defeating the foe.
So you see, for many conservatives, it’s not a core conviction they are defending when it comes to their opposition to such things as the Affordable Care Act and more specifically the individual mandate. No, they are simply traveling the well-worn path of many conservatives before them. They must crush the opposition. They must defeat their political enemy.
As a liberal, my stance on issues is not a response to conservative and Republican ideology. I’m not trying to carve up another political victory. I want government to continue to strive for a more perfect union. I want a government that works for everyone. When I take a stance on an issue, it’s because I have reason to believe it is the best way to go for all Americans, taking into account that solutions to problems do not come easy, and are rarely perfect. But we keep striving. I’m not interested in winning a battle against conservatives. I don’t consider this a game. I simply want a fair society with a government working for the people.
