So it was disheartening to get this email through a dating site that I recently let expire:
Your profile was a treat to read...some personality came through. But tell me, are you a fiscal conservative, or also a social conservative? I have strong feelings about equity for people of all stripes, and I'm proud of my daughter's work for accessible reproductive health care through [a pro-abortion group].
Well good for you. I have strong feelings about equality for people of all stripes. I'll leave equity to effort and luck. I want our laws to be fair. Life isn't something I expect the latter ideal to have a lot of relevance. Mom and dad never screwed me up by telling me life is fair.
Am I a social conservative? I don't think so. But I know darned well I'm more conservative on social issues than this woman. I'm not pro-abortion, but it just isn't a high priority item for me. And I certainly don't reject anybody for having a view on it different than mine.
Yet for this woman, that's a dating deal breaker. Wow. Who's close minded in all of this, again? After all, some personality came through--which apparently appealed to her. And she enjoyed my writing style. Obviously, my picture in a tuxedo was a total turn on. Yet she had to ask if I'm a social conservative.
I don't actually think of myself as a "social conservative." But I'm sure I have enough conservative views on social issues--or at least non-liberal views--to put myself in that category for her.
And I'll be damned if I'm going to treat dating like going on a job interview trying to give the "right" answers.
You wonder why I think it is a travesty of language that "liberal minded" is a synonym for "open minded?"
I didn't bother replying. She isn't looking for a partner. She's looking for a voting demographic. Good luck to her.
Actually, she probably doesn't need a lot of luck around here. Good luck to me.
