It's 2012. Birth control, really?

I think back on this election season. I have to start with this comment. We are indeed, a nation divided. I am happy it is over and /I am happy that the senseless bashing of human charcter can finally subside for at least 3 years. But where do I stand? Where do you stand? Anybody who knows me can say with certainty that I probably am the most socially liberal conservative around. They also know that I am all about small government, economic freedom and energy independence. So where do I stand? I like to say that I'm a conservative, but traditional conservatism these days is more Liberatarian. Will a Liberatarian win office? Not in my lifetime. So what do I believe in?

I had a thought last night, as I was hanging out with some girlfriends. I was thinking about our lives... very different lives. One has been married, divorced and has a grown child. The other, in a relationship with the same person essentially all of her adult life. And then there's me, I'm not going to birth any children of my own. I'm 40 for crying out loud. But it gave me pause to think about the Republican party, focussing so much time and energy on birth control in the primaries. It's 2012. Really? Here's how to polarize an entire species of females: talk about how you don't believe in birth control. Maybe you don't.... maybe you personally don't believe in birth control. Maybe you think it's bad... immoral. But in focussing on that topic, one that realistically you can't outlaw or ban, regardless of whether or not you win the election, you have managed to ostricize single women and married women alike. You have even made an enemy out of married men, who have Fathered all the children they want to have in their lifetime. It's hard as a conservative, middle-aged female to answer for that. And don't think I haven't had to. My girlfriends will ask me 'how can you support somebody who believes they have the right to tell me what is right for me?' It is almost unfair to leave me, your supporter, holding the bag for that one.

Don't worry. I haven't jumped ship. I still believe in all of the things that make me a conservative woman but how do I share this universe with people who can't see past bad ideas. Some people are easily offended... I mean, Women in Binders? It wasn't meant as an insult. I'm sure Obama has a Binder of Terrorists somewhere in the oval office. So people taking things out of context isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about bad ideas that offend entire groups of people. We have to be smarter if we want to win elections. We have to welcome people to understand our politics and our differences instead of alienating people for not being like us. ALL SIDES.

How do we find a way, as a nation to come together on some of these issues without abandoning our core, fundamental and individual beliefs?