Conservatives, what is your most liberal aspect(s)? & vice versa

[dazzleman]

I would say that I support certain liberal goals, but not the methods that liberals use to achieve those goals.

I believe in equality of opportunity, to the greatest extent possible, but I am enough of a realist to know that it is not within the power of government to equalize everybody's opportunity.  We are all born into, and raised with, certain circumstances, both good and bad, that make our opportunities in life unequal.  But we should not allow anybody's opportunities to be limited by factors such as race, gender, etc.

I believe in racial equality, but to me that doesn't mean that government should designate certain groups as perennial victims, and favor them over other citizens.  I also don't think that government should be in the business of telling people where to live or go to school, based on skin color.  I don't believe that racial equality will ultimately come through government, but through private initiative, and I think the failure of the civil rights movement to move beyond dependency on government has set black progress back substantially.

I have no objection to background checks for people buying guns, but I don't believe gun control is the answer to our crime problems.  The same people who strongly favor gun control are the ones who have undermined law enforcement by claiming every criminal is really a victim.  Those who are not constrained by laws against robbery and murder will not be constrained by laws against gun possession.

I favor certain anti-poverty programs, those that teach initiative and self-reliance, rather than liberal-style programs that foster dependency and encourage the type of behavior that can only perpetuate the cycle of poverty.

I am not against rehabilitation for criminals, but it has to be accompanied by punishment too.  The "rehabilitation only" philosophy of the liberals has only led to inexorably higher crime rates.

With respect to the financial markets, I think that every effort should be made to allow average investors to have the same level of information as fat-cat insiders, so they can more easily keep from being taken advantage of.

I am relatively tolerant of gay rights.  I don't think that gays should face discrimination in employment, housing, etc.  But I think the institution of marriage should be reserved to the union of one man and one woman.

[dazzleman]

My most liberal aspect is probably my belief that the legal system discriminates against people who don't have a lot of money.

That's not to say that I think the legal system is too hard on criminals from poor backgrounds.  I think it is too easy on rich and famous people.

I think that if you are rich enough, and can get the right lawyer, you can either beat legitimate charges, or reduce your punishment to far less than it would be if you were the average Joe.

Because it takes a lot of money to utilize our slow and ponderous legal system, it inherently favors those who can afford to wade through the whole legal thicket, while those without the resources to do that are forced to settle cases, even if they are right.

On the civil side, so many cases are settled wrongly because it would cost too much money to see the case through legally, and there is so little confidence of a sensible result in any case.

[dazzleman]

I don't oppose reasonable increases in the minimum wage, though I don't think the minimum wage can ever be a truly living wage.

I am more supportive of mass transit, and research for alternative energy sources, than the typical Republican/conservative.

I don't condemn gay relationships from a personal point of view, though I oppose calling them marriage, and my personal preference is to hang out with predominantly heterosexual people, though I have a few friends who are gay.

I am very tolerant, even supportive, of raunchy jokes and stories, and certain types of 'bad' behavior, though I think the stereotype that conservatives don't like this type of thing is a false stereotype.

At work, I am considered one of the most liberal managers from a personnel development point of view -- in the sense that people working under me have a lot of freedom to make their own decisions and strike out on their own initiative without my direct control.