I am a conservative

 The word “conservative” has now become synonymous with right-wing extremism. It’s time to rescue conservatism from right-wing radicals. While I share many values with liberalism and progressivism, I also share many values of old-school conservatism. True conservatives want everyone to vote, want America to welcome refugees and immigrants, want Americans to be educated, want the nanny state out of our bedrooms and valorize science.

• I believe in democracy. I support anything that encourages citizens to participate in democracy: same-day registration, mail-in ballots, making election days holidays.

• I believe immigrants make America stronger. I support facilitating immigration and citizenship.

• I believe that all citizens should have access to affordable education. I believe in public schools. I believe all student loans should be dischargeable through bankruptcy.

• I believe the government should stay out of the personal decisions of adults as to what to do with their own bodies. Abortion should be a decision between a woman and her physician. Government should get out of the marriage business.

• I believe that science is an essential guide to action in a free and healthy America. I believe that evolution should be taught in science classes and creationism should not. I believe that the evidence for anthropogenic climate change is overwhelming, that it is the existential crisis for humanity today, and that an appropriate use of government is to subsidize solutions and tax carbon.

• I believe that America is strongest when all its citizens have access to affordable healthcare. I support Medicare for all, and/or other forms of single-payer, like all the other industrialized nations on the planet.

These are all bedrock conservative values. The fact that the extreme right has rebranded them as leftism doesn't change the fact that all real conservatives share these values with liberals. Don’t fall for the divisive propaganda of Fox.