Monkeys on Parade

• 26 February 2008 - Epiphany

Some years ago, 9 to be closer to exact, I had an epiphany.

About two months prior to this life changing realization I was sitting in my car waiting for my eldest child to be released from school. As is usual I was surfing the radio. Somehow I stumbled across Rush LImbaugh. (Don't stop here, it really isn't what you think.) I argued with him, disagreed with absolutely everything he had to say, and thought him a complete moron. It irritated me to no end that he seemed to intentionally misunderstand questions and comments. I changed the station.

March 1999- I helped someone with her taxes. She had not worked regularly in 1998 (by choice) and had only earned about $3500 that year. She had quite a few children (though they didn't all live with her, she still had legal custody and received support), was not married, lived in subsidized housing, received food stamps, welfare, subsidies, the whole nine yards- yet somehow drove a brand new car, spent her weekends partying, always had money for cigarettes and alcohol, and rarely had her children with her. Somehow, she managed to receive an income tax return of over $7000. I was appalled.

A couple of days later found me waiting for my son- flipping through the channels again. There was Rush. I argued, I disagreed with most of what he had to say, and he still irritated me, but suddenly the phrase "redistrubution of wealth" had real meaning. Why did the government force my husband and I to subsidize her lifestyle?

It was at that moment I realized that I wasn't a democrat.

I was shocked. I didn't even notice that my son had gotten in the car.

Upon reviewing my political views compared with what the democrats REALLY did/ believed/ whatever you want to call that- as opposed to what I had been TOLD, I was almost equally shocked. Not only was I not a democrat, I never had been one. I knew I wasn't a Republican, so what did that make me? Confused for the most part. At least for a while, mayhaps I still am.

There is certainly no (still functioning) party that fits my current political views. A southern democrat- a Dixiecrat if you will- without the segregationist tendencies- comes the closest. If I must pick a current box it would be that of the Constitutionalist as far as federal elections go. At the state level, I am most likely to choose someone with Republican views. At the local level, I would likely choose a Democrat as the local "good ol' boy network" tends to be Republican (just look at our current mayor for the proof of that.)

So there you have it. What am I? A Constitutionalist with Libertarian leanings. Perhaps that is why so many people seem confused.

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