Conservatives
Thank you, Arianna Huffington (Column Right, Feb. 2), for pointing out the discrepancy of the Christian right’s policy positions from the teachings of the carpenter from Nazareth. There is a type of thinking that people like Dan Quayle, Gary Bauer, Lamar Alexander and other extremists cannot grasp. It appears difficult for them to feel compassion or understanding for the emotional experience of others who struggle with issues like addictions, abortion, poverty, euthanasia and homosexuality. They would delete the word “compassionate” from their political vocabulary and can see only through the lens of judgment or punishment.
I believe that they simply cannot distinguish a compassionate understanding of another person’s experience of a moral struggle from seeing themselves as agreeing, or approving, of the behaviors. They can’t say, “I understand . . . “ without believing that they’ve just given their approval as well.
MARC SADOFF
Pacific Palisades
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Huffington’s “compassionate conservative” has just taken a narrow lead in my compilation of the best oxymorons of the century, slightly ahead of “military intelligence” and “moderate Stalinist.”
FRANK LaROCHE
Los Angeles
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