From the wonders of Facebook, an article in the current issue of the Utne Reader has given me new hope of finding more common ground between the liberal and conservative camps. I have long been frustrated by conversations that I have with my dad. Even though we come from similar background and principals, we find ourselves far afield in the political spectrum.

The article states there are multiple moral impulses, some of which are more likely to be found in conservative beliefs, other are more common in liberal beliefs. Essentially, all of these are necessary to a fully functioning society, but each group of people value one set over another and is the source for the disagreements that play out in politics.

It's a short read and well worth it. I find it helpful to remind me that those I oppose are not necessarily ignorant or unfeeling, but that they are acting morally. An interesting subtext in the article is how some of the differences are based in class distinctions, which seems to be a blind spot in liberal academic theories. There also seems to be an assumption that liberals are inclined to be atheists, but that's a topic for a later post.

So, take a read.
http://www.utne.com/Politics/Liberals-Arent-Un-American-Conservatives-Arent-Ignorant.aspx