by Hunter Dawkins
Let’s be honest: everyone on this living Earth has a sense of conservatism and liberal tendencies when its focusing on something in your life. Instead, America’s point of crisis becomes a “two-sided paradox.”
A great professor of mine and a policy wonk lectured about what makes a good citiizen. Age-old philosopher Aristotle claimed that “good citizens are not born or found.”
Therefore, the question should be: how can we find out what makes a quality citizen, which is critical for the survival of our democracy.
Virtues, knowledge, pragmatism are all important aspects, but they lose the core reality of our American society and what makes us exceptional. The unique emphasis defined by the Founders that has existed in our republic just shy of 250 years is our independence and our free will to regulate.
We all have a difference in our choices and how to manage, but the fact that we have these powers to do so, makes the United States a unique country.
Political positions and ideas are crucial to help build policy. Democracy needs “mortgaging” private interests to help build structure, but not by vaulting the liberty of all.
Dr. Stephen Schneck, think-tank instructor in Washington, D.C., once told me “the state succeeds by promoting and protecting the diversity of interests and the liberty of individual citizens.” Lecturing on the 1787 U.S. Constitution, he mentioned that the Founders protected some vernacular by focusing on the best interests of the new American citizens. Yet this ability can evolve, adapt, and compromise over time.
For example, let’s review the American mindset in the 1964 election versus the 1980 election. Candidates from the opposing political parties both had the same ideals, however, society feared one side because of unknown circumstances. Virtually, the same kind of election occurred in 1980 with the exception of a decline in foreign policy scare although the same dialogue from both political parties.
In understanding the two-sided paradox, a perception of political party focus should be reviewed, as the main goal has become to freely change policy in your region.
Conservative mentality is to tackle the Christian Right and focus on the family in America. In the words of my famous Dean of Public Policy at George Mason University professor, Mark Rozell, “the movement has developed from a small cadre of uncompromising activists into a strong but deeply divisive faction.”
Although the conservative appeal is more relevand down South, liberalism has vital traits, including protecting and enhancing the freedom of the individual.
As the term is often put into a New Deal epithet towards entitlement programs, the key principle of liberalism falls under the Declaration of Independence phrase to move towards life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Now the questions of the day looms to how can you be a good citizen? Our independence and the right to choose makes this society great and we should never forget that or those that defend us in uniform to make those decisions. America’s right to vote is the best way to express the choice we want and raising inquiries to stay involved.
