American politics is based on a two party system. The idea is basically that if you have two opposing parties, those on the left will prevent those on the right from going too far and vice versa. The result is a government that leans left or right at certain times but is moderate overall. But while the two party system may have its usefulness in terms of running government, it seems as though it has had an adverse effect on popular notions of political morality.

It is important to remember that when one thinks about liberals and conservatives as two opposing but equal forces, this is meant in terms of political beliefs. It is not meant as an assessment of the morality behind either side’s positions. Though there may be some association between the two, they are not the same thing. This is where many seem to be misguided. They believe that since Democrats and Republicans are simply equal but opposite forces, their policies are equally ethical. They are simply different approaches.

It is true that both sides have valid arguments on a number of issues. Abortion, for instance, is a case where liberals and conservatives boths have excellent points to make. But this is not always the case. There are times when one side, though equal in its political power, is in ethical terms completely wrong.

One good example of this is gay marriage. Liberals and conservatives have opposing points of view on this issue. On the political spectrum the positions equal and opposite. Morally, however, the conservatives are totally and unequivocally wrong. There is no argument that can be made for the rightness of stripping a group of people of their rights and turning them into second class citizens solely on the basis of their sexual orientation.

Unfortunately, years of arguing between Democrats and Republicans over petty issues have habituated the public to such debates. Now when a debate of real importance emerges everybody thinks of it as simply politics as usual. The Republicans spent so much time attacking Clinton for insignificant problems that now when somebody raises concerns about “President” Bush that are actually valid they are labeled as “Bush bashers.” This is a very dangerous position to be in as it allows those in power with an easy way of silencing any opposition. Americans must realize this quickly. They must see the key difference between the political spectrum and the morality behind those positions. Equal power does not mean equal rightness.