Kathleen Parker: The Virtues of Political Moderation

Although for years I have thought of myself as a conservative, I have more recently found myself uncomfortable with that label. To a good many people on the other side of the political divide "conservative" means you are, by definition, an evil racist bible-thumpin' stupid abortion clinic bombin' redneck. This is, of course very very far from the truth. So where do I hang my hat? In pretty much the same place that Kathleen Parker does:

Like most people I know, I tend to run screaming from both ends of the spectrum. Too conservative for the left wing and too liberal for the right wing, I find myself scrambling for the center aisle.

Yet, people in the middle often are held in contempt as fence-straddlers... you're forced to pick a side. People want to know: Are you conservative or liberal? "It depends" is considered a weak answer, morally relativistic, lacking in backbone.

Abortion provides a convenient if unpalatable example. I've written dozens of columns through the years, more or less urging a pro-life position - having a baby forces a review of one's assumptions - while clinging to a pro-choice conclusion. Abortion is a terrible thing, I say, the violent termination of a life and a decision many women (and men) regret with time and perspective.

Nevertheless, I can find no way to justify government-enforced maternity. Under penalty of what? By whom? Under what circumstances? The practical applications of the moral ideal become nightmarish as we extrapolate to the real. Thus, one might hope to seek compromise.

Yup, pretty much where I stand. Here's the whole piece.