Don’t let “them” define you politically.

I’ve been thinking about political definitions lately. It seems so many people prefer to stuff people they don’t even know into neat little description boxes. This seems to be most true with ideological people on either side of the aisle who tend to dehumanize their opponents. When I went through my free speech kerfuffle with Seattle a few years back, although those who know me, know me to be kind, compassionate, and open-minded, many on the political left blasted me as a knuckle-dragging, jack-booted and racist thug. These were comments from people who do not know me. They hear words coming from someone with which they disagree and then paint the speaker/writer with their ignorant bile.

There are many categories into which people fit, but the non-ideological do not fit neatly. The lines are blurred; the boundaries overlap. For example, there are those who are predominately liberal but who oppose abortion. There are conservatives who are pro-choice. Striking closer to home, libertarians also have these distinctions. With regard to the abortion issue, some libertarians support a pro-choice position with an emphasis on the woman. Other libertarians choose to emphasize a pro-life perspective and focus on the unborn child. The latter view seems to be enhanced by scientific advances in perinatology and related medical science, which have occurred since Roe v. Wade, more than forty years ago.

But I digress. I think it is radio talk show host, Larry Elder, who uses the phrase: republitarian, combining republican with libertarian to describe his liberty-minded blended audience of Republicans and libertarians. This conception would place republican over libertarian. Perhaps, liberpublican?

It is important that people define themselves politically, rather than conform to match a specific political ideology. If you’re involved with a group of people who too narrowly define their political perspective, saying, “You’re not a liberal, conservative, or libertarian unless you believe…” then find another group. Suspect anyone who tells you that you are not libertarian because you are pro-life, or for that matter, pro-choice. Define your own political perspective and retain your sacred independence of thought.