I have to admit to becoming more of a "moderate" and somewhat less of a "liberal" over the years, but this is still worth reading...

We who are "the L word" have made the following assumptions, for which we have been roundly ridiculed over the years.

If we have less progressive taxation (as from income taxes, luxury taxes, inheritance taxes, property taxes) and more regressive taxation (as from sales taxes, sin taxes, user fees, lotteries), then the rich will get richer, the poor will get poorer, and fewer and fewer average families will be able to afford the American Dream.

If government does not govern, campaigns are not publicly financed, and lobbyists are not held in check, then greed and corruption will run rampant...at everyone's expense.

If we do not adopt a national health care system, like the rest of the Industrialized World, then few people will be able to afford the good care that does exist.

If we arm ourselves and other nations to the teeth and poorly develop alternative energy sources, then we'll bankrupt ourselves and march to the brink of a bloody war.

If we don't teach our kids the "why" of things, then they won't learn the "who", "what", "where", or "when" of things.

If we don't retool our industries and retrain our workers, then we'll lose our competitive edge in the world economy.

If we ignore poverty, favor punishment over treatment for drug abuse, and don't outlaw all but sporting guns, then our streets will turn into battlegrounds and we won't be able to hire and bury cops and build jails and prisons fast enough.

If we don't recognize that truly human "brain life" doesn't begin until the third trimester of pregnancy, then a woman's inalienable right to an abortion during the first two trimesters may well be outlawed.

If we neglect our environment, then not only ancient redwoods and African elephants but also our own species will become endangered.

We hate to say, "We told you so" but we did...and still do!