A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so
many others her age, she considered herself to be very liberal, and among
other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more
government programs, in other words redistribution of wealth.
She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch conservative,
a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had
participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that
her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he
thought should be his.
One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes
on the rich and the need for more government programs.
The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the
truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she
was doing in school.
Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and
let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a
very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time
to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time
for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she
spent all her time studying.
Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Audrey doing?"
She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy
classes, she never studies and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on
campus; college for ! her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties
and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too
hung over."
Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's
office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who
only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that
would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA."
The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired
back, "That's a crazy idea, how would that be fair! I've worked really
hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work!
Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my
tail off!"
The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, "Welcome to the
conservative side of the fence."
If you ever wondered what side of the fence you sit on, this is a great
test!
If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.
If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat.
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for
everyone.
If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his
situation.
A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.
If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.
If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.
(Unless it's a foreign religion, of course!)
If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping!
for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.
If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a
good laugh.
A liberal will delete it because he's "offended."
*Well, I forwarded it to you.*
many others her age, she considered herself to be very liberal, and among
other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more
government programs, in other words redistribution of wealth.
She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch conservative,
a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had
participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that
her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he
thought should be his.
One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes
on the rich and the need for more government programs.
The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the
truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she
was doing in school.
Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and
let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a
very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time
to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time
for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she
spent all her time studying.
Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Audrey doing?"
She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy
classes, she never studies and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on
campus; college for ! her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties
and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too
hung over."
Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's
office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who
only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that
would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA."
The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired
back, "That's a crazy idea, how would that be fair! I've worked really
hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work!
Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my
tail off!"
The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, "Welcome to the
conservative side of the fence."
If you ever wondered what side of the fence you sit on, this is a great
test!
If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.
If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat.
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for
everyone.
If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his
situation.
A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.
If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.
If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.
(Unless it's a foreign religion, of course!)
If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping!
for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.
If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a
good laugh.
A liberal will delete it because he's "offended."
*Well, I forwarded it to you.*
Now, this was my response:
I'm so glad you sent this! And I'm a liberal! (Thought I had to point that out since it said if I was a liberal I'd delete this. Though the person who wrote this obviously doesn't know who a liberal actually is or believes.)
First things first: "If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it." - Stephen Colbert (thanks Jennifer for this one!)
(My husband) and I have worked our butts off with years of college, internships, job hunting, working our way up, and now sacrificing time together to get all that we have. We've never expected anyone else to help us get here, or thought anyone should support us or pay our way. We've not once taken money from any family member or anyone else for that matter. We've always supplied our own health insurance, and never have expected anyone to pay for ours.
Now onto the other points in this story: So if the the people who use the programs for those who need help that are supported by taxpayer money are ones who do nothing and party their lives away, then you must agree on the following issues:
The mother of 4 who's husband was killed by a drunk driver and now works two jobs to support her family, feed them, put shelter over their heads, and pay for child care, but has trouble making ends meet and cannot afford the premium for the insurance her employer provides, well she is just partying her life away and a do-nothing. We should let her struggle and fail, and her kids live in poverty without any assistance. There should be no chance for her to climb out of the hole. Also, if she gets a terminal illness, she just has to die because the man in this story you sent is sailing the seas on one of his five yachts and just couldn't give up any of his money to help her and her family. So now there are 4 motherless kids, and God forbid any of them get sick, because it's wrong to help them with health insurance.
You can apply the above issues to a woman who's husband cheated on her and divorced her and left her with nothing but their children to support, and does not pay his child support. She should be left to suffer? Or the man with a mental illness like schizophrenia, who cannot hold a job, and is homeless on the street, hungry and cold. He can't help his illness. We should let him die out in the cold? He is less of a person than us? His life is worth less? I hardly believe that!
Also forget the health department, public schools, public hospitals, Medicare for the elderly, social security, and libraries. All of them are supported by the government. (I for one don't believe that only do-nothings use these programs. But then again I have a very disabled *from a birth defect* family member on social security and Medicare who would be unable to support himself without any help. He is completely unable to work, so forget health insurance from an employer.)
On the gun thing... sure, it's great to let everyone buy guns. 20 people were not just shot in Arizona, 6 killed including a 9 year old little girl. Oh wait, they totally were because a crazy nut was allowed to buy a gun that isn't a gun used for hunting anything other than other human beings.
I know a large number of liberal vegetarians, and none of them tell me meat should be banned. They all go about it as their own personal lifestyle choice. Not one has every criticized me for serving meat at any of my parties, either.
Oh, and as for the conservative talk show hosts. They can keep their jobs. We don't care. But we are going to point out that they incite hatred and violence when they do. We are also going to point out when their logic doesn't make sense like the content of this email from this father who maybe should've gone to his daughter's college and taken a class in how to set up an argument, because all of his point are invalid.
But most importantly, I'll repeat this little nugget of wisdom:
"If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn't help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we've got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don't want to do it." - Stephen Colbert
Oh, and BTW, we make enough money, and we are proud to share that with those who are struggling, and to know we have reached our hand out to help someone up. That is not only what being a Christian is about, but is what being a human being helping out their fellow man is about.
A liberal thinks beyond themselves. They think of everyone, and all of their personal stories. After all, we are all better off if our country is healthy, safe, and not brimming with people suffering in poverty. Sometimes you have to measure things beyond money to know your true wealth. I'm sorry this man couldn't see past his bank account.
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