Greg is completely correct of course. I am a very conservative person. I was angry, annoyed, disappointed when the San Francisco Opera’s staging of the “Barber of Seville” had Figaro ride onto the stage on a red Vespa motor scooter.  OTOH, I believe all drugs should be legalized; let the chips fall where they may. I believe all activities between consenting adults, whether commercial or not, are no business of government. I believe the Patriot Act is as fundamentally flawed as the Alien and Sedition Acts, and I believe the McCain-Feingold election funding “reform” is just as dangerous to American democracy.  Why is it dangerous to democracy?  Because there are, in fact, no “special interests.” ALL “special interests” are either people or companies whose interests are being affected by government action. They wish to influence government so those actions are less detrimental to them. Can this be accomplished by a single person?  Did the government pay attention to the detailed memo I sent them explaining that fundamentalist Muslims and patriotic Iraquis would join to attack their occupiers?  Did they heed my warning that the Palestinian resistance to Israel would be a mere pinprick compared to what we would unleash?  For people to be heard, they must band together. Whether it’s Greenpeace, or NAACP, or ACLU, or the NRA, people join together to promote what they see as important. While one could justify limiting the activities of companies whose interests are purely commercial, the McCain-Feingold bill, which stops all such activity (if it names a candidate) for sixty days prior to the election, is a major chip out of the First Amendment and a blow to the Bill of Rights.

I’m also conservative because I still believe in honor. Honor is an elusive concept.  To me, it means having such self-confidence and self-respect that one always tries to do the right thing. I used to teach business law at a community college. Students would regularly plagiarize.  When caught, they would make excuses and would express remorse at being caught. But none of them thought they had done anything wrong. They are not honorable people.

Condoleeza Rice made it clear in her testimony this week what happened in the White House prior to 9/11/01.  They knew about al Qaeda. They knew about Osama bin Laden.  They knew further attacks were in the offing.  But the threat seemed too remote, too unfocused, for it to come to the forefront of their awareness.  Coupled with the laws that made it illegal for the CIA to coordinate with the FBI where American citizens were involved, 9/11 could not likely have been prevented.  But, Bush and Rice are unwilling to put it to the American public that way. They will not clearly and forthrightly say: “Yes, we had the information but it just wasn’t assembled in such a way that the threat crystallized in our minds. Hindsight is wonderful, but at the time, there was no such clarity.” Instead, they weasel and squirm and blame Richard Clark. They are not honorable people.

A member of my family was interested in body-building. If I recall correctly, she entered some amateur competitions.  When she expressed interest in continuing, she was informed that she would have to take steroids if she wished to do well.  Athletes in general, not just body builders, seem to consider it their unalienable right to enhance their performance through chemistry.  That they are competing against others who prefer to leave their bodies unaltered and that the playing field is not level does not bother them. I have heard steroid users express contempt for those unwilling to use the drugs.  These are not honorable people.

Honor. An old fashioned concept no longer much understood. Sort of like virginity, or music.