Yeah, I said it. There are only a few things that really get under my skin. I mean totally turn me off, will cause me to lose respect for an individual and it’s all I can do not to comment.
Don’t ever tell me you are a Moderate. I immediately envision the possum that was too stupid to get to one side or the other of the highway. He ended up as road kill and everyone continued to smash him all day long, taking home bits and pieces on the undercarriage of their cars.
A person who describes themselves as a Moderate may as well go ahead and say, “I’m too wimpy and panty-wasted to stand up for anything. I want to make sure everyone likes me. I don’t have a conviction and if I do I keep it quiet because somebody might disagree and then I’ll have to actually stand up for myself and my belief.”
John McCain is a moderate. He’s more concerned with being politically expedient than right. For too many years he’s enjoyed being the “wild card” that has the rest of the country wondering what side of the issue he’s going to land on next. He’s forgotten how to make a rational decision based on fact and principle and has gotten used to Republicans and Democrats courting him in an effort to gain his favor. He’s fallen in such deep love with himself and craves the attention that the media pays to him at each and every political crossroad. He has lived his entire political life doing giant splits (that any gymnast would envy) all the way down the political aisle with one foot planted on the Right side and the other foot planted on the Left side. This is undoubtedly the main reason he had to continue to tout ad-nauseum his war hero status during the campaign. The public had to be reminded that at one point in his life he did have an actual conviction.
Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe are moderates and have been some of the worst Republicans in our Senate in modern times. Arlen Specter was a moderate- oh wait, no, he’s just an idiot who changed his beliefs depending on which way the political winds would blow. Yesterday he was a Republican, today he is a Democrat and tomorrow he’ll still be an idiot. Thankfully the public saw through that and sent him home with a pink slip this year. At least with Collins and Snowe we KNOW that they’re going to play for the other team, while wearing our uniform, at every game.
I would prefer someone to label themselves a Liberal than as a Moderate. At least you know where that person stands on the issues instead of the wishy- washy, namby-pamby stance of someone who declares themselves a Moderate. Moderates aren’t remembered in history, at least not fondly.
Men and women are remembered when they stand for something. In the convention of 1775 when the colonists were sure that Britain would back off and allow them their independence, complacency among the men began to slowly set in. Patrick Henry, in all of his foresight, knew this would never happen and after three days of frustration, stood up among his fellow men and said during a fiery speech, “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” This is a speech that has echoed through time and has left a substantial mark on our history. His courage and bravery has put steel in the spines of other like-minded patriots. Even reading his words now leave me with a lump in my throat and chills down my spine.
William Travis stood at the Alamo, gathered his fellow defenders and said, “Our business is not to make a fruitless effort to save our lives, but to choose the manner of our death!” He drew his sword and made a line in the sand and said, “I want every man who is determined to stay here and die with me to come across this line.” Every man faced with that choice had to contemplate their fate and their conviction and one by one they deliberately chose to cross the line, knowing that they were choosing to die. Only two men didn’t cross on their own. Jim Bowie had to be carried across because he was so ill, while a French soldier, Louis Rose remained alone on the other side. (Frenchman- I know, what a shocker. He probably would have identified himself as a Moderate)
Everyone knows the end of that story and we still celebrate and revere their lives today, retelling to our children and grandchildren of the high price for freedom. That is the stuff that heroes are made of.
I can only imagine John McCain’s and other “Moderates” responses to just such a call. They’d jump ON the line! They wouldn’t choose to CROSS it nor would they stay with the other cowards, but they would attempt to do a graceful balancing act right on the line!
Being a moderate should be embarrassing because it represents compromise in its worst form. John McCain, you, along with your other fellow moderates in elected positions all across our country, were not elected to go to Washington and jump in bed with the other side. We don’t care who your fishing buddies are. You weren’t elected to do what is momentarily politically expedient. You weren’t elected to be polite and never to offend anyone with D or an R by their name. You weren’t elected to be the darling of the media who wait with baited breath as you decide your next move. You were elected to represent your constituents and their best interests, and oftentimes that means you’ve got to roll up the sleeves and sling snot!
To all of you “moderates,” I would urge you to find a backbone! Define what you believe and manage to nail it down. Others of you need to quit apologizing for what you believe in.
If you are for limited government, own it! If you are pro-life, own it! If you are a free-market capitalist who believes that the best way to fix our economic problems is to unleash the American spirit and entrepreneurship in this country and to tie the government’s hands, then OWN IT! You’ll be shocked when you decide to stand up as a leader how quickly it unleashes the fear on others to stand up with you.
Not everyone will agree with you. That’s okay, it’s part of the wonderful makeup we call America. But understand WHY you believe what you believe. Be prepared to defend it and don’t be afraid to be passionate about it. Sharpen your skills and become leaders in your community, starting with friends, families and neighbors. Grassroots movements that can change the country start at the bottom. They start with the normal, average people who stand up and start to test their own voices and then they begin to spread like wildfire through cities, counties, states and nations. Be apart of it and don’t let compromise or “moderate” ever be an acceptable word in your vocabulary!
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I've decided that I disagree with this blog. I read the following article recently and felt that it clearly stated a different view on Moderates:
"If you want to know what a liberal stands for, just ask a conservative. The same is true if you want to know what a conservative stands for. In neither case do we allow liberals or conservatives to define themselves. They have tried, to be sure, but nobody but liberals really listen to other liberals when they talk about liberalism. Similarly, conservatives tend to preach to the choir when they discuss conservative values. Through this one simple dynamic the great American political rift is perpetuated.
While Democrats and Republicans each sling mud at the other camp, the most shrill and heated arguments originate not from the center of each party, but rather from the most outspoken minority on the fringe… Fringe political voices will tell you that moderates “live in the middle” of the political landscape, and that they don’t feel strongly about any issue. Instead, we’re told that moderates hold their finger to the political wind to see which way it’s blowing – and then make up their minds.
As in many other cases, the folks on the fringes are wrong here as well. A political moderate is a person who holds values that are considered traditionally conservative as well as some that are considered traditionally liberal. Are you for a strong national defense and for good public education? Do you value the environment while you also value the need to provide decent jobs? Do you believe that it’s wrong to discriminate against people for housing or employment because they belong to some minority or religious group? What about voluntary prayer in schools?
Most people are more complex than fringe political wonks believe. Most people have a variety of views, and these often span the political spectrum. If you’re one of those people, one of the multitude that holds some conservative views and some liberal views, then you’re a political moderate – regardless of the political party to which you belong."
they say there is 2 sides to a coin… heads and tails, there are 2 differences in the world…. whats right and whats wrong…… there are 2 forces at work in the universe…….. good and evil.
the question u have to ask ur self is this. am i heads or tails, right or wrong, good or evil
to walk the edge of the coin is the same as walking the fence line. eventually u will fall, which way…. is the beautiful thing called …. choice and it is ur's
there is no middle line and those who say that there is …. is wrong. by not choosing ur choice is made
Great job Brittany!
The quote that you champion is very extreme. There is no middle ground, no compromise, only black and white, good and evil, food and poison. That's what the English church believed. That's why the pilgrims left England for America.
FYI, if you have ever heard a Bostonian speak, they still speak with a type of Olde English accent.: the hard "a". It wasn't just posh or cockney back in the day.
It's been said on compromise and I don't think I could say it better…"There is no proof that the truth doesn't lie in the mean. The idea is that when there is a difference of opinion there is no proof that the truth (answer) is in the middle (the mean) The truth lies in one of the end points." That being said, you'll have to make the decision if you want to live and end your life known as a compromiser.
And that's why Atlas Shrugged is a work of fiction.
Declaring absolute truths is dangerous and short sighted. Radical Islam does not believe in middle ground either.
Have you even read Atlas Shrugged? It is shockingly like reading the New York Times or watching the news today despite having been written decades ago. As for it being a work of fiction, Rand replied to that claim best saying, "I trust that no one will tell me that men such as I wrote about don't exist. That this book has been written–and published–is proof that they do."
As far as your Radical Islam comment goes, that is true. They do not believe in middle ground. You have found the wrong side of the spectrum being Islam's tyrannical rule, perhaps you can find liberty on the right side as well.
Please read (or reread) Atlas Shrugged, then comment back.
I read your blog although often times I find myself in disagreement with your views. Sometimes we see eye to eye. I find oversimplification of complex issues to be the greatest threat to America. It is not our job to pander to those who do not wish to educate themselves, it is the citizens job to do their own research and inform themselves.
I'm not a republican, nor a democrat. If I had to choose a label it would be humanist.
I have been all around the world including communist countries like China. There is one constant in this world. People are people. No matter what our ethos is, we all basically want the same things. To live our own lives, to have a family, to enjoy loved ones and friends, and to part from this world on our own terms leaving the legacy of our choosing.
If you insist that this life is black and white, right and wrong, then I suggest that the opposing forces are not conservatives v. democrats, Islam v. Christianity, capitalism v. communism (Christianity v. atheism?), or any other label that we put on each other beset against the other. I propose that the two forces at odds are The Ordinary Person, like you and I, and the people that have the power to bend our lives to their will, be it through political, monetary, or forceful means.
I wholeheartedly believe that compromise is the only way we will ever solve the worlds greatest issues. Talk to Palestine about absolutes and it becomes clear that path leads to infinite struggle.
The "moderates" that you mention in your article might have been true moderates at one time, but now they are simply floundering political dinosaurs trying to figure out how not to get voted of the island.
Thanks for your comment and being a regular reader of Liberty Juice. It is clear that this particular difference between us stems foremost and directly from our views on Faith. As a Christian I believe in moral absolutes…right and wrong. As a Humanist you believe that man is the center of the universe and in Humanism, man worships man, which deletes accountability and therefore who cares if there is a right and wrong? In your mind there is no consequence because there will be no God to stand before. It's from that point that we veer and travel down two vastly different roads leading us to completely different conclusions on this issue.
By humanist, I simply meant the practice of focusing on human concerns, not necessarily modern Secular Humanism.
Anyone can believe in moral absolutes as by definition, morals are self imposed and described.
Accountability can exist without owning up to an omniscient, omnipresent, invisible being. Our entire legal system is founded on that idea.
Just because someone doesn't believe in God, DOES NOT mean they don't care about right and wrong. That was pretty rude LB.
There is nothing wrong with moderates. It is the extremists that cause problems. It really sounds like you are encouraging extremism. Which is exatcly what our enemies abroad do. If only politics were as black and white as you described, then maybe one side or the other would be right and one side wrong. But that is simply not the case.
Wow, that's quite a leap. Urging people to take a stand for what they believe in and comparing them to extremist? I'm not into relativism. Most things are either right or they are wrong. Liberals are usually people who don't truly believe in God, which means that for them there are no moral absolutes… which leads to relativism. Moderates are cowards and non-thinkers. They are the one's who can't decide until the very last day who to vote for. It's safe to say you are a moderate in a group of people because when you refuse to define yourself than you never have to stand for anything.
I'm so glad our Founding Fathers didn't hold your opinion. We'd still be speaking with English accents.
There is no one more evil than the 'man in the middle'.
"There are two sides to every issue: one side is right and the other is wrong, but the middle is always evil. The man who is wrong still retains some respect for truth, if, only, by accepting the responsibility of choice. But the man in the middle is the knave who blanks out the truth in order to pretend that no choice or values exist, who is willing to sit out the course of any battle, willing to cash in on the blood of the innocent or to crawl on his belly to the guilty, who dispenses justice by condemning both the robber and the robbed to jail, who solves conflicts by ordering the thinker and the fool to meet each other halfway. In any compromise between food and poison, it is only death that can win. In any compromise between good and evil, it is only evil that can profit. In that transfusion of blood which drains the good to feed the evil, the compromiser is the transmitting rubber tube."
Ayn Rand – Atlas Shrugged, 965-966
Well put by Ayn Rand!
Amen and Amen. Thank you for the comment. Ayn Rand says it the best!
In my Fourth of July Tea Party speech, I tell people that the only things you find in the middle of the road are yellow stripes and roadkill.
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