The contentious uproar over the Supreme Court potentially overturning Roe v. Wade has only highlighted one of the core differences between conservatives and Progressives.  Understanding this root difference is important as we face another potential summer of "mostly peaceful protests" over this issue and others that are bound to surface. The difference is in values — not just the morals and values we have, but where and how we stand on them, and how we respect them.   

Generally, conservatives have moral stances they believe in.  They are not situational, but are core to their individual character.  They don't couch those differences based on circumstances.  If they are in favor of the death penalty, they simply are.  If they are against abortion, that is where they stand.  Conservatives don't alter their morals or values based on external factors or the latest news cycle.  Their values are who they are as people.

Running counter to that is the thinking of many Progressives.  Their values are subject to the whims of change.  During the COVID crisis, they insisted that individuals had no say over their own bodies — that they had to take the vaccine.  Their collective fear overrode every sense of personal liberty.  There were cries to make people get the shot. 

Now  that's all gone.  When there was a leak of a Supreme Court ruling potentially overturning Roe v. Wade, the left were in an immediate uproar, screaming that women should have complete control and domain over their own bodies.  This was a complete contradiction to their stand against personal liberty, but in their minds, these were two separate things.  They rationalize the differences, burying themselves in inconsequential details, rather than face the irony of their own words. 

This was not an isolated incident.  They have insisted since the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson that anyone could be a woman.  Justice Jackson went so far as to say she couldn't define what a woman is.  But when federal abortions were at risk, it was said that only women should have a say on the subject.  So in a matter of four weeks, they went from not knowing what women are, to defining that women not only exist, but are the only ones who can have an opinion on abortion.

Free speech is another area where this distinction of thinking comes into play.  Progressives were in favor of free speech until Elon Musk said he wanted Twitter to be a truly inclusive platform that would include conservative voices and opinions.  Overnight, the far left flipped their values once more.  Suddenly, advocating free speech was dangerous, radical, and a threat to democracy.  For conservatives, the issue was simple — free speech is good, period.  In fact, we need a Disinformation Governance Board to determine what is the truth. 

Conservatives do not qualify their values in this manner.  They have moral stands that don't require redefining when the situation changes.  It is in stark contrast to their Progressive opponents, who feel they can change their stands depending on how they feel at the moment. 

This waffling on morals and character is demonstrated even in whom they like.  Elon Musk was a darling of the Progressives for years.  He smoked weed, revolutionized the electric car industry, changed space travel — he was an icon for the left.  Once he expressed his views on free speech at Twitter, he was tossed under the bus.  He became evil and immoral.  There was no sense of loyalty, no compulsion to look beyond his stand on a single issue.  He was digitally ostracized for wanting little more than what the framers of the Constitution granted us all.  

Generally, if you disagree with conservatives, you are considered to be entitled to your opinion.  If you disagree with the Progressives, you are the enemy.  You are to be targeted for retribution, abuse, threats, and more.  Moreover, you earned that abuse for not believing the way they do.  There are two different sets of rules in play here, two distinct approaches to people and issues.   

This is not our only division, but it highlights a core fundamental difference between the two major political entities in our nation.  One way or another, we are going to have to reconcile these two different approaches to values, or we will continue to see a widening of the rifts between us as a people. 

Blaine L. Pardoe is author of Blue Dawn: The most chilling "what-if" in history...the progressive overthrow of the United States and The Democratic Party Playbook, Election 2022 Edition.  Pardoe is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author who lives in Virginia.  He is the author of numerous science fiction, military history, true crime, horror, and business leadership books.

Image: tomaszmichalkania via Pixabay, Pixabay License.