With the two Supreme Court decisions last week social conservatives are fearful that our Country is "going to Hell in a handbasket" according to my conservative Facebook friends. I feel like I should send them this link but I doubt it will soothe their feelings. Being a social conservative is like rooting for the Chicago Cubs--eventually you have to get used to losing. Social progress always moves in the direction of social liberal causes. Each generation becomes more liberal in their views of social policy. Oh sure there will always be a conservative backlash that may seem to be driving the social agenda but that backlash is only temporary in its impact. The recent impact of the Tea Party has already begun to wane everywhere except with Republican Party Presidential candidates. It was only 11 years ago that the Republicans pushed anti gay referendums in swing states to bring out conservative voters to reelect George Bush in the general election. Now that only only plays in the Republican primaries as the moderate independent vote has moved to support gay rights in the general election.
I know that conservatives discount the liberalism of the young as being temporary and that young people will turn more conservative as they age. While this maybe true in some people I would ask if you can name one social issue that is moving in the politically conservative direction? Conservative Nebraska just did away with their death penalty. States are slowly enacting "death with dignity laws." States are re-looking at mandatory sentencing. The use of small quantities of marijuana are being decriminalized. Even with the pro life/pro choice question the liberal pro choice stance has recently moved ahead.
"The arc of the moral universal is long but it bends toward justice" Comforting words for liberals.
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