First off, I have a little problem with your self-designation as “progressive” [What Conservatives stand for, Ken Trainor, Viewpoints, Jan. 4]. To be the opposite of progressive is kind of like the old question, “Do you still beat your wife?” You can’t win. I would argue that the opposite of conservative is liberal, and the dictionary agrees with me. So your question would be more properly stated, “What do liberals stand for?”
Now on to your list of conservative ideals. You have been paying attention; you got it pretty much right. The conservative world view is pretty easy to understand — right is right and wrong is wrong. Good should win (but doesn’t always) and evil should lose (but doesn’t always).
The answer to your question is in the last two paragraphs of your own article. “Conservatives are very clear about what they stand for; on the other hand, progressives have not been as clear.” Defining liberal beliefs is like trying to nail jello to the wall. They are all over the place.
So what do liberals stand for? Fairness, that’s it in a nutshell. Everything should be fair and if something is not fair, by God, the liberal will make it fair. Fairness was the rule of playground law when I was growing up. Liberals have taken that childhood philosophy and injected it into every area of daily life.
Your kid gets better grades than mine? Well, that’s not fair. Let’s dumb down the test so everyone gets an A. Problem solved, except everyone’s a little dumber. You earn more money than me? Well, that’s not fair. We are going to tax you till we all get the same amount of money. What do you mean you are not going to work as hard if you can’t keep what you earn? That’s not fair.
That should be the liberal motto: “It’s not fair.” Well sorry, life’s not fair. This country promises equality of opportunity, not equality of outcomes.
Now go clean that jello off the wall, get back to work and figure out for yourself what liberals stand for. We conservatives can’t do everything for you. I know, I know, it’s not fair.
John Rennau
Oak Park