Liberal or Conservative?

I’ve been thinking about political labels lately and trying to figure out where various people fit in. Perhaps you could help me.

If someone believes strongly in preserving the U.S. Constitution, especially the individual protections offered by the Bill of Rights, is that person a conservative or a liberal?

What about someone who believes that the best way to achieve peace is to prepare for war? And that if the country does commit itself to war, it should do so only when it is prepared to go all out and win the damn thing as fast as possible?

Are you liberal or conservative if you want to conserve the environment? Are you Republican or Democrat if you believe the government should not spend more than it takes in, except in cases of national emergency?

If you believe the government should leave people alone and let them live their lives the way they see fit (i.e. “the pursuit of happiness”) so long as they aren’t harming someone else, does that mean it’s okay for people to marry whatever consenting adult they so choose? And if not, why not?

Should schools be allowed to favor one student over another based on race, and, if so, is that a liberal or conservative stance? And then there’s health care. Is it liberal to leave millions of fellow citizens uninsured and dependant on, say, Parkland Hospital, at the taxpayers’ expense, rather than insure them and keep costs down? Or is that conservative? Or is it just bad fiscal policy, regardless of your political persuasion?

Is it liberal to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages but conservative to prohibit marijuana? Or is it the other way around?

Is it liberal or conservative to crack down on companies that manufacture dangerous products that harm people in their intended usage? It’s conservative, isn’t it, to allow the lawyers who take on all the risks of a personal injury lawsuit for a client to reap her bargained-for reward, right? Or is it liberal because the lawyer sued a corporation?

Of course, slapping a label on someone rather than listening and thinking is easy. But is that liberal or conservative?