I've been lurking on these boards since I registered a few months ago and I'm both enlightened and appalled by some of the things people have said, "Liberals" and "Conservatives" alike.
To the question, and to address some of the misconceptions of many of the posters on this very thread I do have a few things to say.
First off, to people who constantly characterize the "liberal mindset" as being one which relies on the government I have to call BS on that one, people who use that as a blanket condemnation of left leaning folks have probably never had an in depth conversation with a "liberal" or cannot get through their own preconceptions to do so. Conversely, to the "liberals" who mis-characterize "conservatives" as backward, uneducated and hateful I say you have some way to come before you can truly be considered liberal minded. I have both Liberals and Conservatives (who self-identify as such) in my life who I agree with and am very friendly with, I also know of many of both who I cannot stand, who's ignorance and unwillingness to see beyond their personal points of view cause me to disassociate with them.
Liberals can and many (including myself) ARE of the survivalist mindset. We are interested in learning how to hunt, to defend ourselves and we respect the constitution of the United States even if we feel that some of the provisions need greater scrutiny. I personally DO NOT want people disarmed and helpless, but that does not mean that I'm not concerned about gun violence or unstable people attaining weapons. I also want to know as much about survival, urban and otherwise, as I possibly can. We can debate the reasons all day long but I also believe that it is in everyone's best interest to be prepared for whatever may come down the pike. I also respect military veterans greatly, but will not allow their service to get in the way when I disagree with them on a given topic. My belief has always been to question every established assumption and accept no dogma blindly regardless of whether to comes from the right or the left.
I don't suffer foolish unsubstantiated rumor in myself, so I do not suffer it in anyone else and when I am wrong, as I often am, I do my best to learn from it and move on.
One of the things I see in survivalist circles that makes me want to withdraw is the same that I see in more left leaning circles that also makes me angry are the false assumptions about and dehumanization of the other side. It is my belief that this infighting among the citizenry, the division of us into camps of "left" and "right" "liberal" and "Conservative" serves only those who would truly keep us ALL down and is a part of the divide and conquer strategy that has again and again, either implicitly or explicitly used to pit us against each other. It serves none of us.
I may abhor some of your beliefs but as long as I recognize you as a human being with human needs and your own set of experiences that are very likely different than mine, I can never hate you the person. That thought gives me hope, and on some days it is the only thing that give me hope. We can agree to disagree and still be supportive of each other in our individual quests to learn all we can to protect ourselves and our families AND each other against those who would do us all harm.
That has always been my intention here. To learn, to understand, and to prepare, not to bicker over petty political differences. Because whoever would do us harm wants nothing more than that, and personally I love the people of this country too much to hate them over dogmatic differences.
Being of African and American Indian ancestry I am well aware of what blind hate does to people on both sides and I don't want to be a part of that.
Thank you for listening.