I am usually pretty hesitant to write about my political beliefs here, but a lot has been going lately that is occupying my head (when not otherwise occupied by writing and revising my thesis). I recently discovered that there are indeed some right-wing political bloggers that aren't total nut-jobs. Usually, the craziest ones, the ones that give the rest of us a bad name, are the easiest to pick out. I've added some links on the left to a few of my new favorites. I may not always agree with them, but they almost always make me think.

It should be interesting to see what comes out of the Conservative convention next year. Is the party going to continue to move to the mainstream? Will it move back to the right since the pressure of a national election is off? I personally would love to see the social policies (especially regarding gay marriage) move to the mainstream while retaining fiscal conservatism, support for the military, senate reform, and other policies that keep me voting for the Conservative party despite the media's love of trying to shame us by showcasing the nut-jobs.

I think part of my reluctance to speak politically here is really related to the tendency of some on the left to shut down debate (and invariably "win") by breaking out the "You're a racist/bigot/homophobe!" card when they can't articulate their position. Honestly, you're never going to bring me around to your beliefs by insulting me. The blog that started me off thinking about political debate and discourse, in this country and our neighbours to the south, really captures how I feel about how some liberals have treated conservatives (see point 7 in the entry). During our elections in June, I wrote about being called a Nazi for supporting the Conservatives and yeah, I'm still annoyed with it. Growing up in Alberta, I'd never dealt with that kind of vitriol since so many around me shared my views. Even when I started university and got involved with the political clubs, I had many friends in the Liberal and NDP clubs who could discuss the issues without resorting to name-calling. These discussions did open my eyes to other points of view I may not have been exposed to before, and even if I didn't agree at the end of the conversation, I had been forced to examine my beliefs critically and defend them.

Another facet of this problem is the more politically-correct-seeming (but also more devious) bias against conservatives in academia. I watched a very interesting short (a preview for a full-length release next year) which explores the differences in how incidents are handled at different universities depending on which way the people involved lean politically. I was horrified at some of the situations while watching it, and then assured myself that nothing like that could happen at a Canadian university. And then I remembered a case that happened while I was at the U of C - a good friend was running for the Student Union and endured a ruthless character assassination spearheaded by one individual, but heartily backed up by the campus women's center. While the individual did have some minor repercussions (the incident was noted on her transcript), I really don't recall anything happening to the women's center, which was complicit in the whole affair.

I guess my whole point is that I wish I felt more comfortable speaking about issues which matter to me. Perhaps the best way to fight the culture that encourages silence is to defy it, speak out, and force people to examine their own beliefs and values. I have so much respect for those already saying their bit. Maybe I'll start saying mine, too.