TruPolitics

This post was written by guest author Saylor Smith. Mr. Smith was and educator for over 40 years and is the author of two novels. He currently resides in Eugene, Oregon. This is his third posting for the site.

I believe it is a hopeful sign that patriotic Americans of the Right and of the Left are debating the relative merits of the conservative and liberal political philosophies. There are wide disparities between these philosophies that are worth examining. However, our country has become so large and so complex that the truth is that neither philosophy is “Correct” for every situation and, in a real sense, both philosophies are “Correct” for some situations. President Obama’s recent speech to American students was full of so-called “conservative” values (work hard, stay in school); I would posit that those are American values, embraced equally by conservative and liberal thinkers.

Conservatives and liberals — no, American conservatives and liberals — live in the same challenging world and see that world from similar perspectives; they seek security in their towns and cities; safe, productive schools; equality of opportunity; jobs for all who are willing and able to work; and a comfortable place to call home. We all agree on those vital areas of existence; we fight the conservative/liberal battle, then, on the margins.

I believe the central question is not large government vs. small government. After all, during “conservative” President George W. Bush’s eight years in office the federal government expanded, whereas during “liberal” President Bill Clinton’s eight-year tenure, the government contracted. The main question each political philosophy attempts to answer is: What role should the federal government play in guaranteeing to its citizens the freedoms outlined in the Constitution?

A simple way to examine the question is to consider the Four Freedoms President Franklin Roosevelt proposed as fundamental for all peoples:

1. Freedom of speech and expression

2. Freedom of religion

3. Freedom from want

4. Freedom from fear

Certainly, we would expect our elected officials to stand firmly in support of those values. However, should we expect them to take concerted action — to pass legislation, for example — as part of their “duties” to the people? A liberal might give a knee-jerk “Yes” answer to that question, and a conservative might give a knee-jerk “No” response.

The liberal sees the government’s representatives as fulfilling their duties by actively assuring those freedoms (passing minimum wage laws, for example, to protect people from want and fear, or passing laws to regulate the actions of large corporations when those actions threaten the safety and security of the people). The conservative sees the government’s representatives as putting up roadblocks to true freedom when they take such action (the conservative suggests letting the free market set wage limits, and he or she argues consistently for de-regulation of corporate America). For most intents and purposes, a liberal sees the government as “us,” while a conservative sees the government as “them.”

We are all of us freedom-loving Americans; it is part of the very fabric of our being as a people. As such, we have to respect and, indeed, honor the conservative’s uncompromising belief in the value of freedom. And each liberal has to recognize, accept and embrace that conservative value in him- or herself. Too, we are a compassionate, generous people; the conservative should honor that value in his or her liberal friends and accept and embrace it in him- or herself.

Each issue we face, especially the tough ones — gun control, healthcare reform, energy regulations, abortion — demands reasoned, honest judgment on the part of each of our representatives. “What,” he or she must ask, “is best for the people of my district, state and nation?” If a law promises to make life safer, freer or less fearful for Americans, the legislator is obligated by his or her allegiance to the most basic principles of the U.S. Constitution, to give it careful consideration, neither rubber-stamping nor rejecting it based on “left” or “right” ideology.

We live in confounding times. Too many people argue that there are no verities, that all “truth” is relative. Surely that is not the case. Surely, there are decisions we can make and actions we can take that are based, very simply, on what is right. Let us all, conservatives, liberals and independents, come together in a determined search for what is, in the end, right.

-Guest author Saylor Smith for TruPolitics.net