The Wishy-Washy Middle

For the record, as long as The Right/Conservatism/Republicans align themselves with the idea that homosexuals are somehow second class citizens, I will proudly call myself a Liberal/Democrat.

Other core values that simply will not allow me to give up the "Liberal" label in favor of the more open-minded sounding "independent" include:

• The belief that all things being equal, the rights of the individual outweigh the rights of the corporation
• The belief that The First Amendment is just as important as The Second Amendment
• The belief that one of the main functions of our government is to protect the rights of the minority, not the majority
• The belief that The First and Fourth Amendments cannot be ignored in the name of "fighting terrorism"
• The belief that one can still support the troops while disagreeing with the mission, that the two aren't mutually exclusive

But, you know, that's just me.