While I am loathe to oversimplify nuanced positions held by citizens in the U.S. today, I would like to re-frame the comparative list provided in the commentary by Richard Makuch “Two sides of American life” (April 3):

The ultra-conservatives have infiltrated a major political party in this country. Their ideals and beliefs have been absorbed into our way of life and it is threatening the future of our country. There seems to be a fence separating those in the conservative faction and those on the common sense side.

The common sense folks feel that they and their families have a right to be protected from angry criminals and mentally ill folks who can easily get assault weapons; the conservatives want to give every nut-case a military-grade gun with no background checks.

The common sense folks recognize that we each should take personal responsibility to take care of the environment for the good of all humanity; the conservatives think they should eat steak every night for dinner from cattle that were raised on clear cut land, formerly a rain forest, because it’s their right as spoiled Americans.

The common sense people understand that every person deserves to have their safety and well being protected; the conservatives feel it’s OK to discriminate against people of a different gender identity or sexual preference and overlook violence against them.

The common sense person recognizes that sometimes people run into hard times through no fault of their own, due to age, disease, or disability, and that all citizens can share responsibility for caring for those in need. The conservatives don’t care about those who are down and out. They repeat Ebenezer Scrooge’s mantra: “Are there no work houses? Are there no prisons?”

The common sense person recognizes that there are many paths to a good life. The conservatives want to force their religion down everyone’s throats.

The common sense person sees that our governing bodies offer broad services such as the postal service, building roads and infrastructure, police and fire fighting, but not universal health care. The conservatives feel that our country should allow our citizens’ health to be compromised by the whims of big, profit-driven, health insurance and pharmaceutical corporations.

The conservatives would like to see our country run by rich corporate greedy thugs who don’t care about the citizens of our country. They should not be allowed to steal from our people to benefit the few on top. May America be blessed with sensible government whose priority is the people, not the corporations.

It feels absurd to insult my conservative friends by pigeon-holing them and their attitudes and beliefs this way. I hope they recognize this as sarcasm and understand that this does not reflect my understanding of them, but serves to make a point: we must all be working to see the value in every perspective, rather than putting our own view on a pedestal and putting errant words in the mouths of others.

M. Jane Wagner is a Fredonia resident.