The other day I spoke with a man who was pro-union and blew me away by his adamant refusal to work for non-unions even if he was to be offered much higher pay. I asked him several times about this issue. He said he would live and die by unions. I've rarely seen this type of dedication to a worldview other than in religious circles.

Conservative circles are full of stories of liberal hypocrisy. Karl Marx made sure that his children who survived him lived by bourgeoisie standards and entered into good marriages. Chairman Mao lived a party life equal to that of any capitalist. Fidel Castro owns huge mansions. Yasser Arafat had millions stowed away, as did Saddam Hussein. Kim Jung Il lives like a man who has millions stowed away. And, on a more western note, Bono, Barbra Streisand and Madonna all have millions stowed away. Jean Chretien, ex-Prime Minister of Canada, gave away millions of taxpayer dollars that are now stowed away. Prime Minister Rudd of Australia won't sell Australian uranium to India so that they can control pollution better and yet extends his blessing to American sales of uranium (he may not have millions stowed away but he certainly does make confusing decisions). Liberals advocate multiculturalism but demand uniformity in education. Feminists want women in politics except for Sarah Palin who is, by their accounts, actually not a woman. Abortionists advocate choice and yet they don't present it. Gays and lesbians advocate freedom of religion and then regulate churches. Public library unions support public access to books but won't let any volunteers into their workplace.

To meet a liberal who had integrity was indeed refreshing. But my main concern is for those conservatives who don't live by their own credos. I can't tell you how many times I meet conservatives who blast the public Medicare system and yet make full use of it without a thought to paying back into the system what they drew from it. According to The Heartland Institute some 38% of public school teachers in Chicago send their kids to private schools. (http://www.heartland.org/policybot/results.html?artId=15818)

I would assume most of these people are conservatives because their children will presumably be receiving a largely conservative education. And I can't tell you how many times I've met conservatives who are anti-union but work for unions. Many, many conservatives decry welfare and yet gladly accept Old Age Pension checks — that are nothing but welfare payments. How many times have conservative politicians been found squandering their nation's money (the string of seemingly endless escort scandals can surely attest to this)? But perhaps worst of all are the churches and the conservative businessmen who boast about their fairness and love of mankind but use their positions to rake in money like leaves on an autumn day.

With these concerns in mind I try to look inward and directly ask what is hypocritical within my own life. It can be challenging. This year I switched from public to private schooling at great financial expense and at the cost of a shift in institutional reputation. Yes, I was disgusted with the pro-communist teaching of the public university I was attending but that wouldn't have been enough by itself to force my exit. I've also sought to privatize my healthcare, my charitable giving and have worked for private, non-union industry for years at a cost to my pocketbook.

But I have a ways to go and hard questions continuously emerge to be wrestled with. As but one example, should public transit be privatized? Is it better for the environment to have millions of people on a public transit system? If privatized would public transit cost more or cost less? Is it being subsidized at the moment and if so should I pay extra for my share (but how might I compute this)? Similar questions arise in many other areas.

Some individuals have hinted to me that I'm arrogant for trying to address the world's problems. Many liberal-minded folk here in Canada want me to mind my own business or move to the United States but I don't think it's too much to at least ask people to live by their principles. I'm glad I'm thinking about such things as public debt and the future of my country and am glad I'm thinking about integrity. If I were a liberal I would hope that I would also think about integrity and follow liberal creeds and thinking in all aspects of my life. For instance I would hope that if I didn't believe in the institution of marriage that I wouldn't get married despite the favor of certain groups of people and opportunities it might curry and that if I didn't believe in private enterprise that I would avoid it like the plague.

When I meet people of either political leaning who do not have integrity, I know that their empty words are best left alone, that life is short and that I need to get moving and continue to at least solve the problems existing in my own life. To that end, to the man I met who won't join a union despite the availability of better money — thanks for the refreshing conversation. I respect your integrity and your commitment to your ideals, but I also, respectfully, maintain my right to disagree.