Nov 14, 2018 2 min read

There is a tendency, during recent political campaigns, to label Republicans as conservatives and Democrats as liberals.

Take a moment, grab a dictionary and look up the definitions of those terms. After you have done that, and before you label anyone, including yourself, here are a few things to consider in the style of comedian Jeff Foxworthy:

If you think government has too much arbitrary authority and that there are too many laws restricting your freedom, you might be a liberal. If you believe that you are a generous person, or belong to a charitable organization like the Lions, Rotary, grange or practice a religion that does charitable work, you might be a liberal. If you are a farmer or a hunter and you share your harvest, you might be a liberal. If you stand on tradition, including the traditional arts and sciences, you might be a liberal. On the other hand, if you believe government regulations are good and you are opposed to change, you might be a conservative. If you believe government programs should be left alone, you might be a conservative. If you believe protecting our environment and natural resources are important, you might be a conservative.

Too many qualified candidates from both parties lose elections because they are branded by a D or an R. Before you attach a label, read it first, and the next time you vote, vote your values, not the label.

Judy Kramer

Bulger