Monday, April 03, 2006

Middle of the Road

My column in today's Diamondback is a quixotic quest to end partisanship and an appeal to increase political literacy. I also reveal why I don't like to be described as a moderate. From "In the Middle":
My conservative friends consider me a liberal. My liberal friends call me a conservative. I think I like it that way. Am I a “moderate”? I suppose so, but I’m not sure I like that term. It implies one can’t have strong opinions or one must take practical stands instead of principled stands. Obviously, that shouldn’t be the case. People should be free to take firm stances on issues important to them. I just ask that you consider the legitimate arguments the opposite side makes. On every contentious issue, practice arguing from both sides so you can get an understanding of where the other guy is coming from.
Click here to read the rest.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I respect the most those with strong opinions but who are willing to compromise with others. Practicality IS a part of that, I don't think it's a bad thing to be realistic, especially if you still retain your original principles. But recognizing that to live together, we should all be willing to accept a solution that satisfies everyone as much as possible, is where I think the best part of moderation lies.