Student Question
Do you agree or disagree with the author's perspective in the following quote?
"I think experience will teach you a combination of liberalism and conservatism. We have to be progressive and at the same time we have to retain values. We have to hold onto the past as we explore the future."
Quick answer:
The quote suggests that life experience leads to a blend of liberal and conservative views, emphasizing both progress and the preservation of values. One respondent agrees, noting that personal experiences have tempered their youthful liberalism, highlighting the need for balance. Another interprets the quote as recognizing life's complexities, moving beyond black-and-white thinking. A third disagrees, arguing that sometimes firm stances, like during the Civil Rights Movement, are necessary, and compromise can be detrimental.
I agree with the quote wholeheartedly. Sometimes it takes age and experience to recognize the differences between youthful vitality and emotion, and a more mature overall outlook on the things of this world. As a youth, I was vehemently opposed to the war in Vietnam, and I campaigned for George McGovern's run for President. I have found that many of my views have mellowed in this regard. Although I am opposed to war, I do see the necessity of our nation taking military action when necessary (i.e., the U.S. invasion of Aghanistan). My liberal views have been tempered; although I am a loyal Democrat, I did not vote for Bill Clinton (honesty issues) or President Obama (lack of experience). At the same time, I recognize that our changing world demands that we change with it. I find myself much more tolerant of opposing viewpoints and radical change. I do my best to temper my nostalgic look back...
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at "the good old days" while realizing that many of today's changes have been for the betterment of all.
Do you agree with the author's perspective on balancing liberalism and conservatism in the following quote?
"I think experience will teach you a combination of liberalism and conservatism. We have to be progressive and at the same time we have to retain values. We have to hold onto the past as we explore the future."
I do not agree with this perspective. I think that there are times when it is right to be conserative and times when it is right to be liberal. If we try to split the difference every time, we might just end up being wrong.
For example, let's look at the Civil Rights Movement in US History. At that point in time, being liberal was the right thing to do. If we had held on to the past at that point, we would have been doing a grave injustice to the African Americans. Holding on to the past would have meant that we would continue to deny them their rights. In that case, then, it would have been wrong to adopt the sort of wishy-washy outlook that this speaker is giving.