Reflections, Perspectives and Commentary: I'm Back....Here's Another Centrist Thinker in Kansas!

Monday, June 21, 2010

I'm Back....Here's Another Centrist Thinker in Kansas!

Ok, I'm back again. I was sidetracked by my oldest daughters high school graduation and a promotion at work. However, I have a number of ideas in the old brain pipeline and hope to once again blog more regularly. For now, follow this link http://www.hutchnews.com/Columns/arnhold-2--1 for another Kansan who is also seeking a center path. He's also proof that not everyone in Kansas is a registered conservative.

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Why I Consider Myself Middle Of The Road

Although I live in conservative Kansas, I seek to promote a moderate perspective on issues of faith, politics and culture. In southwest Kansas, I am viewed as a liberal, but many on the east and west coasts might consider me more conservative, certainly middle of the road. I personally believe that my views reflect those of the vast middle of America, with liberal tendencies in social matters and conservative tendencies in financial matters.

My guiding perspective is that extremism of any kind (liberal AND conservative) is a negative and will always lead to a bad outcome. My moderate views recognize that no one group has a monopoly on good ideas (or bad for that matter) and that America operates best when compromise is hailed rather than assailed.

My life experiences contribute to my moderate views because I have experienced both ends of the spectrum in many aspects of my life. I have lived, among other places, in a small western rural community of less than 80 people, a mid-sized midwestern college town, and the slum of a large east coast metropolis. I grew up in relative wealth, but have also lived near the edge of financial ruin. I have lived in places that are very conservative and places that are very liberal. I taught in schools that were of the highest quality, but also in those that were of the lowest quality. Much of my life was spent outside of church with no faith whatsoever and recent years as a member of a dynamic evangelical congregation. Through my life I have experienced success and recognition, but also disaster and depression.

This varied tapestry has given me a unique perspective on how issues affect people of all social, economic, educational, racial, and religious backgrounds. The ultimate outcome of these experiences is to reject the single-mindedness of extremist views in favor of a rational approach that appreciates the desire of most Americans to seek a workable middle ground when it comes to issues of faith, politics and culture.

On many issues, both the far right and far left will be disappointed in my views. Examples include:
global warming (where I believe much of the problem is natural in origin and part of the Earth's cyclical nature, but also believe we should take reasonable efforts to make technical and behavioral advancements to mitigate man's role in the problem),
evolution (where I believe it limits God's ability to believe they are mutually exclusive, but that ultimately neither can currently answer the question of where it all came from),
capitalism (where I believe that capitalism itself is not moral or immoral, but rather the moral rightness of capitalism only exists within the people who participate in it, which often necessitates government intervention to insure honesty and fairness),
government (where I don't believe government is evil, but also don't believe it is the answer to all of our nation's problems).

Through this blog I will share my thoughts on a wide variety of topics, including the dangerous and divisive issue like religion, race, abortion, health care, drugs and many others.

Reflections, Perspectives and Commentary

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Monday, June 21, 2010

I'm Back....Here's Another Centrist Thinker in Kansas!

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