Let's Get Political

Over the next five days I'd like to take a look at words which are being tossed around in the current political realm to see if their true meanings are being employed. My position is that they are not!
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CONSERVATIVE: tending to preserve established traditions or institutions and to resist or oppose any changes in these. (Webster's NW Dictionary)

In today's political scuffles the term conservative is maligned frequently to mean anyone who opposes change. A more accurate position would be that conservatives embrace change slowly, and are resistant to quick decisions embracing dramatic change. In an age in which the current administration was elected on the promise of change the legislative process can be a mine field for conservatives. I find myself thinking about Future Shock, a book by Alvin Toeffler which was popular in the 1960's. He postulated that change has been with us always, and always will be present in the future. However, he says, change in the future (the now to us) will come with greater rapidity, causing us to have to adopt new methods of dealing with change. He cites rapidly-emerging technology as the primary reason for this rapidity of change. His 1960's vision is profound, given the current rate of change in technology and in our society.

Ultra-conservatism has emerged as a popular stance for conservatives who reject change and espouse political positions which denigrate those who embrace change. Their "no" is emotional and, at times, destructive to the process of creating legislation. However, it is inappropriate to classify all conservatives as being ultra-conservative. True conservatives seek decisions which are thought out and researched over time, and which reflect values embraced by our society and our Constitution. Even then, the interpretation of constitutional intent may vary.

Conservatives are not restricted to one party, nor are they restricted to one style of legislative action.Twice in my adult life I have lived in communities that, by registration, were primarily Democratic. It didn't take long, however, to discover that their practices were far more conservative than the Republicans. In the same way, I grew up in the midst of a community that was, by definition, "Rockefeller Republican." They were more progressive than the Democrats. Is it any wonder, then, that the terms being thrown around in the halls of legislation are confusing to many in the "real" world?

TOMORROW: LIBERAL.