As with most such events, I usually find myself having more in common with the under 30 crowd than I do with my own plus 50 crowd. At least I have more to talk about with the former. And the under 30 crowd seems to be a lot more eager to talk to me. All that is probably because I have no first hand experience with the raising of children, or worrying about whose daughter is about to marry whom, or which group of orangutangs playing which sport have beaten which other group of zombies playing the same sport. And to be honest, I just couldn't care less. So, the crowd who hasn't reached the point where they worry about whose daughter is marrying whom seems a lot more receptive to talking about issues that go just a little bit deeper than usual. The plus 50 crowd seems to have finished all their thinking about the deeper issues -- that is, if they had ever started in the first place -- and consider the case closed, or of no interest.

      In the case of Sunday's festivities, the majority of the plus 50 bunch had stopped their political thinking at age 8. And that is par for the course in Johnstown. Which also means they're Democrats. In fact, it's a good bet that anyone over 50 in the Johnstown area fits that description. Which is another reason I like talking to the under 30 crowd. There's a chance they're educable. So, we had a little conversation.

      One neighbor's son (not the celebrant) in his late 20s asked me if I didn't think that 'compassionate conservatism' was an oxymoron. Now, that's an interesting question. It shows thought. Which is why it wouldn't come from the plus 50 crowd in Johnstown, or anywhere else in western Pennsylvania for that matter. In fact, the word 'oxymoron' would be a little too much for them. Of course, I immediately shot back that, no, it's not an oxymoron. It's a redundancy. Now, that got their attention. And, if you think about it, hardly anything could be more obvious!

      After all, what is the underlying philosophy of conservatism? It's individual freedom. You, the individual are free because you are a responsible being. Conservatism accords you the responsibility to run your own life. You know how to run your own life, and are capable of doing it. How is that not compassionate?

      On the other hand, what does the Great Satan of Liberalism say? Its underlying philosophy is socialism. You are not a responsible being (unless we're talking about perverse and wanton sexual behavior, or aborting babies). You're incapable of running your own life and don't know how to do it. Someone else has to do it for you. Usually, that's the government. Of course, no thought is paid to how one special group of human beings received an enlightment no one else did. In short, it's fascism. But, no matter, how could that attitude ever be considered "compassionate?"

      Conservatism believes your money belongs to you. No one, but the one who has earned the money has a right to it. If you wish to feed the poor, the homeless, or buy perscription drugs for the elderly, that's your priviledge. Government has no right to force you to donate to charity by the muzzle of a gun when you don't want to. What's not compassionate about that?

      Liberalism believes your money is yours, until someone with a greater need comes along. Then it's all right to take your money and give it to someone else. And, of course, it's all right to do it against your will. Bill Clinton made this crystal clear back in '97 when, during a speech in Buffalo, he said, "We could give you a tax cut, but then we couldn't be sure that you would do the right thing with your money." What's compassionate about that?

      Conservativism believes that when money is earned honestly it accumulates where it ought, in the hands of the earners. How could that not be compassionate?

      Liberalism believes that when money is earned honestly it accumulates unfairly. Then government has to "redistribute" it. It does that by taking it by force from those who have honestly earned it and giving it to those who haven't. What's compassionate about that?

      "Compassionate conservatism?" Thank you -- no. It's liberal new-speak and I won't buy into it. I'm a conservative. I'm already innately compassionate.