Conservatives are fond of elevating leaders who "talk straight" and are not afraid to buck political correctness and sophistication and speak bluntly, at least as far as perceptions go.
We were treated to a couple rounds of John McCain's straight talk express, which, among other things, brought us such delights as the Sarah Palin we have grown to love.
Now we are carrying on with another straight-talking Republican's presidential aspirations, with Chris Christie, who is known for his brash and confrontational but allegedly tell-it-like-it-is style.
And let's not forget the affable Bobby Jindal, who never misses an opportunity to call our party or his party stupid or something, when in fact he is often guilty or guiltier of the things he accuses others of.
Which is not to say that the Democratic Party does not also have its share of straight-talkers. They just don't get credit for it.
But sometimes because of that, I feel like sometimes people forget what Liberal straight talk actually sounds like.
So below, here are my examples of the kind of straight talk Democrats do not get credit for. Or should, if they could sometimes be a bit more open about it.
Abortions are medical procedures that, when deemed by medical professionals to be necessary, safe, and not detrimental to the health of the mother, should be performed in hospitals and other appropriate medical facilities, at the sole discretion of the patient and the doctors caring for that patient. Just like any other medical procedure.
Banks are responsible for more money than any single individual, and as a result should be proportionally scrutinized and held liable when they are irresponsible with that money.
Climate Change is a serious long-term threat to the safety and security of this country, and should be combated as such.
Defense assets should be used to defend our nation, not occupy other territories. Defense should mean more than the capability to repel an invading army, but to defend against all kinds of 21st century threats.
Education is more than just a fundamental right, it is the most proven investment that has enriched our lives and civilization. That education should not come with the tradeoff of a lifetime of debt.
Food of high nutritional quality should be accessible by everyone. A healthy diet should be the cheapest to maintain, not the other way around.
Guns have no practical function in a modern society, where food, recreation, and security are all readily available, as are multiple forms of non-lethal weaponry and defense. While citizens may have the right to own guns, that right comes with obligations to be held responsible should the health and safety of fellow citizens be compromised.
Health care is a basic right, that any modern society such as ours should be capable of providing and administering efficiently and in an affordable way.
Immigration has been one of the most important driving forces of American prosperity. Our country continues to benefit from the diversity and rich ethnic backgrounds of our populace. People who are willing to work and sacrifice for better lives in America should be welcomed.
Jailing people for inordinately long amounts of time has not helped in the prevention or punishment of crime. It serves to alienate people from the communities they should feel beholden to for their misdeeds, and gives them nobody to socialize with except other criminals, and removes them from contributing to the well being of society.
Killing enemies and criminals and innocents who happen to be in the proximity of those enemies when the state comes after them cheapens the freedoms and rights our descendents worked so hard to establish. There is no reason a modern society such as ours cannot find less dangerous and more humane alternatives to address these individuals and the threats they pose.
Law enforcement that cannot uphold the law without injuring and exploiting the people it is meant to defend is no better than a society without law.
Middle Class America has been the driver of economic prosperity throughout this country's history, and our country was at its most productive when it was the middle class that had the most access to credit, safety nets, wealth creation, and upward income mobility.
Native Americans are among the most disadvantaged of Americans, and should always be included in the efforts to improve the quality and standards by which we live and raise our future generations.
Obamacare was a great success in getting millions of needy Americans affordable health care, but it does not go nearly far enough. Obamacare has proven to be a successful vehicle to get Americans insured, and should be improved and expanded upon.
Poverty is a detriment to society that should always be combated. The costs of having a population in poverty far outweigh the costs of maintaining a basic level of living quality. As long as anyone in this country lives in poverty, there is a failure in our system at some level, if not multiple.
Quality governance depends on public participation, transparency, and holding officials accountable when they deceive or mislead the public.
Racism continues to play a role in depressing the opportunities and productivity of a large section of our society, and must be acknowledged and addressed at the institutional level.
Social safety net programs are a basic provision of any modern society. Our elderly, our disabled, our most vulnerable citizens should always have access to the care and service they most definitely deserve.
Taxes are the basic entry fee we all pay to participate in society and enjoy all of the privileges that come with engaging in a civilization of mutual dependence. While debates may arise about specific forms and levels of taxation, it is inappropriate to treat taxes as a whole as assailable. Anyone who does so is undermining the equal partnership we all share in maintaining the services and agencies we rely on as a populace.
Unions have done more to raise the quality of compensation and workings conditions for the working class as a whole than any other societal mechanism. To do anything but strengthen our unions only serves to undermine the workers that maintain and refresh our society.
Voting be all Americans should be treated like a necessity rather than a whim. All efforts should be made to make sure every American votes in every election, whether it be absentee or early voting, moving Election Day to the weekend or making it a national holiday. The health of a democratic society depends on all its constituents participating at the very least through the vote.
Workers deserve to be compensated enough that a full-time work-load affords them enough to provide all the basic necessities of life for themselves and their family.
Excluding minority groups from the equal rights they demand and deserve is a betrayal of our ideals of a society where all people are created equal. We must end the discrimination and discriminatory policies against women, Blacks and Latinos, the LGBT community, and all other similarly afflicted minority groups.
Young Americans are the key to the prosperity of this country for decades to come. They are far too often shut out from key political activity, and as a result are far too often overlooked by the policy produced. They should be more welcome in helping shape public policy, economic programs, and long-term objectives.
Zebras cannot be trusted.
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Perhaps you do not agree with every point I used in this example. Perhaps you take issue with something I may have included or omitted. That is alright. While I have no qualms about people disputing any or all of these tenets of mine, I still hope you come to the same conclusion as I do, that it should be far easier for our elected officials to engage in "straight talk" than is often portrayed.
Granted, I am not running for any elected office anytime soon, so there is far less at stake when I attach such statements to myself. But if there are any politicians, especially those proclaiming to be Liberal, out there who cannot be similarly straightforward in their own convictions, and then stand by those convictions through their voting and legislative record, I question if they are even worth supporting at all.
The Right loves to accuse Liberals of engaging in politically correctness and linguistic gymnastics, when it couldn't be further from the truth. It is far easier for Democrats to use plain language to defend their stances than it is for Republicans; it needs to be demonstrated on a more constant basis.
This is but one example of a Liberal Straight Talk Express. Perhaps there should be more. Perhaps there should be enough so that people will more easily be reminded that the Republican Party does not have a monopoly on unsophisticated, clear language.
So what does your Straight Talk Express sound like?