Jerry Shenk: Left vs. Right: Who is ‘extreme?’

Liberals dismiss conservative Americans as monolithic, ignorant and extreme, but, nowhere is there greater uniformity of thought than inside the American left’s insular, ideological bubble.

Liberals, or “progressives,” tend to hold common political and social assumptions seldom challenged by their peers or much of the media.

Liberals, generally, imagine that they alone are intelligent, compassionate and moral. Accordingly, they have difficulty assimilating and debating unfamiliar views expressed by articulate conservatives.

Theoretically, at least, everyone deserves to be heard, to receive courtesy and respect from those who dispute their policy preferences, but, when challenged, liberals commonly accuse reasonable conservatives of stupidity, incivility, dishonesty – or worse.

The result is a highly polarized society, politically, socially and culturally.

But, what is it about conservative principles that evokes such harsh judgment?  Are conservatives genuinely “stupid,” “uncivil,” “dishonest,” “racist” or even “evil?”

In no particular order, let’s examine a few things conservatives believe, and you judge.

Conservatives believe in the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech, including speech with which they disagree, and in open, civil debate about any political, social or cultural matter.

Conservatives believe America to be the least racist nation on earth. Racism exists here but isn’t limited to one group. Racism by any race against another is wrong, and false charges of “racism” are, in themselves, racist. Conservatives agree with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who said, “I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Conservatives believe that a nation without secure borders sacrifices national sovereignty and public health and safety. Furthermore, the financial, health care, housing and educational costs of accommodating massive numbers of illegal aliens far exceed the alleged benefits of admitting them. America’s borders should be secured and illegal aliens expelled.

Conservatives want America’s cities to be clean and safe. That means that law enforcement should be robust, that the law and legal penalties be consistently applied, and the personal safety and property rights of law-abiding citizens protected. Incarcerating criminals is the best way to reduce crime.

Conservatives believe there to be two, unchangeable sexes, male and female. Accordingly, life-changing “gender-affirming” procedures or sterilization should be banned for children below the age of consent, and psychiatric counseling required prior to any procedures on adults.

Conservatives think public schools should focus on teaching reading, writing, math, science, and history. Parents should have input into what their kids are taught, and, if multiple options are available, have the right to choose which schools receive their tax dollars and teach their children. School choice will improve the quality of American education.

Conservatives believe that, if you took out a student loan, you must pay it back.

Conservatives believe that free markets are more efficient, fair, and less expensive than government and that we should keep government within its constitutional boundaries, and allow it to run as few things as possible.

The greatest long-term threat to America is profligate government spending. If we don’t adopt fiscal responsibility – and soon – we will see the end of Social Security and Medicare in their current form, the loss of the American dollar as the world’s reserve currency, out-of-control inflation, and, eventually, an economic collapse that will destroy the nation as we know it.

Conservatives recognize that, for decades, Americans have been fed hundreds of dishonest studies, dozens of flawed climate “models,” and never-ending predictions of environmental catastrophes that never materialized. No rational scientific case has been or, perhaps, can be made for changing our lifestyles to fight alleged “global warming.” In fact, genuine science appears to favor “skeptics” who have made persuasive arguments against any impending man-made apocalypse.

Conservatives believe that secure elections are essential to a functioning society; only citizens should vote; anyone who is required to provide identification for employment, receiving public benefits, buying alcohol or plane tickets, cashing a check, or driving is equally capable of securing identification for voting; and that voter fraud, past and present, should be ruthlessly prosecuted.

What, precisely, is “extreme” or even controversial about those principles? After all, it isn’t that many years since most/all of them were held by every president and the mainstreams of both national parties. Most still are.

In that context, today, who is “extreme?”

And where do you fall on the liberal-to-MAGA spectrum?

Contact columnist Jerry Shenk at jshenk2010@gmail.com