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I try to follow American politics but I'm just completely lost. The conservatives claim to be for smaller government and defenders of the Constitution, and they say the liberals are for big government.

Recently a federal judge used the Constitution to rule the government has no right to tell a citizen who she or he can or can't marry.

Now I kind of like the idea of a small government and individual freedom, so it was surprising to me the conservatives are all up in arms over protecting the idea the government has the right to tell people they can't marry who they want, and the liberals are the ones who want to get the government out of our fellow American citizens' marriage decisions.

So now I'm confused; which am I? I like the idea of small government, but the conservatives seem to want to be in charge of big government and the liberals seem to be defending small government. I can't recall ever hearing a conservative running for office claiming to want a big government, yet when they get in office that's how they govern.

Can anybody help me figure this out ?

Tom Kleinschmidt

West Wendover, Nev.