Moderates are those of us, possibly the most of us, who have a set of viewpoints, whether political, social or religious, that may not be defined as absolutely liberal or conservative. Contrary to pundits at the left and right extremes, such as Rush Limbaugh who defines moderates as, "wishy-washy" and "weak," we have the courage and reasoning to form our own beliefs, some of which may be considered liberal and others that might be thought of as conservative. We don't march to a strict party line and blindly accept everything that's fed to us, whether by our political parties, governments, media or religions.
I believe the moderate is one who:
-forms his or her opinions mostly based upon reason and not purely upon emotion
-can discuss even the difficult issues (e.g. faith, abortion, capital punishment, immigration, gun control, war) with minimal anger and judgment
-is vigilant and concerned, but stops far short of paranoid
-has hope that the world and mankind will progress and thrive
-appreciates that all of us, no matter our faith, race or nationality, live in this world together and that none of us can exist for long in isolation
-has learned from his or her mistakes and has evolved a set of opinions that is always open to review and adjustment
-is patriotic to his or her nation and loyal to his or her faith but respects and appreciates the loyalties and beliefs of others
-hears the words of political leaders, media pundits and the clergy with a touch of skepticism
-knows that patriotism and faith allows for, and is strongest when, one questions and doubts
-and, perhaps most important of all, looks at our world, ourselves and our condition with humor and tolerance
On the other hand, the moderate is not one who:
-judges others who disagree as fools, blind, rednecks, weak, terrorists or infidels
-can only discuss differing opinions with anger and superiority
-sees opposing viewpoints as threats to our civilization
-lives by selectively interpreted selected verses of the Good Books (i.e. Bible, Koran, Torah, Constitution), ignoring those verses that don't support their stand and disregarding the overall intent of the documents and their authors
-sees the imminent end of the world caused by divine or environmental intervention
-believes the future of society rests upon one issue
-moves through life with anger and resentment
-will only support a candidate or leader who totally and unshakably matches his or her set of beliefs
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