Question: So where do civil liberties fit in on the political map, anyway?
Answer: Pretty much everywhere. Both liberalism and conservatism have their roots in post-Enlightenment political philosophy, which was all about civil liberties. Every serious American thinker within the political mainstream either values civil liberties or stands in opposition to the whole philosophy upon which our government is based. Civil liberties are far too important, far too fundamental, to be regarded as optional components of the American democratic system. They are completely essential.
Now, that said, liberals and conservatives tend to have different ideas of what civil liberties are. Liberals are more likely to see abortion, gay marriage, and affirmative action as civil liberties issues. Conservatives are more likely to see gun ownership, taxation, and free trade as civil liberties issues. But when it comes to basic civil liberties, serious members of both traditions can generally come together.
This is why, for example, conservatives like Rep. Bob Barr and conservative political commentators like Rush Limbaugh have occasionally made common cause with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which sometimes protects rights that most conservatives don't recognize as civil liberties. Likewise, many liberals eagerly await new reading material from the Cato Institute, which sometimes protects rights that most liberals don't recognize as civil liberties. We're all in this together.
So if you're conservative and wonder why I have a civil liberties section on abortion, or if you're liberal and wonder why I have a civil liberties section on firearms, it's because these are all issues that I believe belong in the civil liberties debate. And while I have my personal biases, I'm committed to presenting multiple points of view on every subject. If you think I'm not presenting alternate points of view on a given topic well enough, or have a new topic you'd like to see me cover, say so--especially if you have additional links to suggest.
