Make Up Your Mind!

Winston Churchill was once quoted as saying, “If you aren’t liberal by the time you turn twenty, you have no heart…if you aren’t conservative by the time you turn thirty, you have no brain.” I heard this quote a couple of weeks ago and it sparked the question within me; what am I really? Conservative or Liberal?

Involuntarily, sort of like breathing, the words “Republican” and “Conservative” planted themselves into my train of thought. Right away and without thinking, I realized that I’d automatically taken the same political stance as the household in which I was raised, like a reflex. I was raised like most children. I had a house full of people who loved me unconditionally. I was taught to chew with my mouth closed. I was forced to do the kinds of things as a child that every responsible parent teaches their children…for their own good.

However, at the age of five, I was never told, “OK, now, be sure to look both ways before you cross the street and, sweetie, please support the Reagan administration when you get to Miss Johnston’s class!” Still, however well meaning my family was, I inevitably was programmed to find Conservative thought more appealing than Liberal thought. These same principles learned at home were only reinforced to me at church. And since any social activities I was involved in were at church, this left me with little chance to hear both sides of the political spectrum.

Most of us experience this same form of attachment to the belief systems of our parents. However, there are countless situations in life which shake the core of what we believe in and ultimately make us question our values and directly affect who we claim to be as individuals. I knew during the first week in Professor Bach’s government class that I would have a lot to think about, but I was expecting any views I heard to only add stability to my original values.

I was wrong. Now confusion has set in and the opinions I had on hot topics like gay marriage, abortion, and prayer in school are all currently being re-evaluated! For now, the matter to me is not whether I personally think it is ethical but whether it is constitutionally ethical to remove someone’s inalienable right to make their own decision.

This is the “blanket” curiosity, which has consumed every political opinion I originally thought I had. I am still in personal conflict about any specific political stances; however, there is comfort in knowing that even if I’m sure of nothing at all, that is MY opinion…and no one else’s.

I know this is a fundamental I wish I had found earlier in life, but, now that I have found it, I plan to utilize it to the best of my ability. The step to form one’s own opinion and also to respect the opinions of those around them should catch on. It is well worth the effort.

(Jena Rushing is a student in Dr. Gabriel Bach’s government class. She is an art major.)