It has been a long time since I posted anything new but recently my mind had been mixing itself up and causing me to rethink SOME of my approach. My bottom line beliefs have not changed as I stand proud as a Conservative Libertarian and that will not change. But it is becoming more and more clear to me that we ALL have much more in common than we have in opposition of each other. This wonderful nation called America needs for citizens of all beliefs to find and agree on common ground with less partisanship.
Notice that I did not say more COMPROMISE. Most of us react one way or another when we see cars loaded with liberal or Democrat anti Tea Party, anti Right Wing, or stickers pushing pro choice, or man caused global warming. We immediately put up our shields and prejudge the driver and make up our minds about how much this person is WRONG and is somehow beneath us because they just don't get it.
Well you know what... we get the same treatment when those people see our Tea Party flag, our NObama stickers and nothing gets solved. I doubt that someone sees the stickers on either side and says "yeah that's right, I am changing my mind". I still have my beliefs and nothing I see on a car or read on Facebook is going to change that. That is also why I stopped posting partican links on Facebook on my general timeline. I have a group or two that share my beliefs and I post them there to pass info on to like minded friends. Nobody ever has switched beliefs or parties based on a facebook post. And I am pretty sure that a Media Matters sticker or a FreedomWorks logo is not going to make us jump ship, but they WILL put up a barrier to fruitful understanding.
I am not sure if my family even has noticed my change about a year ago. I also am pretty sure some of my close family stopped following me because of my post, especially during the 2012 election. If someone engages me I will have a discussion with them but not in the public comment sections. These are my thoughts and my actions and yours are yours alone. But think about how certain images or messages make you feel and remember that what goes around, does come around and generally right back at you.
One person leading this charge is actually the much hated Glenn Beck. Who is one of the victims of prejudging based on short clips and snippets from long ago. His message has changed and he has made friends with some strange "bedfellows" as he described them. Check out this video from his Blaze Network show... strange but Blogger will not let me embed the video from GlennBeck.com... interesting. One of my favorite quotes was from this interview.... "you can't save the world if you are in a bad mood" said Andrew W.K.
This posting from Andrew W.K. on the Village Voice where he responded to a fan letter, is what shaped some of these thoughts for me. If you have not read it, it is a must read. "My dad is a Right Wing asshole". Here is the final thoughts from that response....
Have the strength to doubt and question what you believe as easily as you're so quick to doubt his beliefs. Live with a truly open mind -- the kind of open mind that even questions the idea of an open mind. Don't feel the need to always pick a side. And if you do pick a side, pick the side of love. It remains our only real hope for survival and has more power to save us than any other belief we could ever cling to.
Your friend,
Andrew W.K.
We are still in troubled times, and we all played a part in getting here. Now can we work together on the common ground we do have? I thinks it's time for us to do so.
We MUST do so.
Well said! I haven't heard of Andrew W.K. but he sounds like a wise man!
ReplyDeleteI was just about to mention to you that it has been too long since you posted on here!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
You're absolutely right that partisanship is a barrier to getting things done.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate, too, your insightful critique of confrontational stickers and reductive sloganeering. Politics has become too much like brands battling over consumers in a zero sum game for party loyalty. To me, it's like footwear: Nike wants people to buy its sneakers, and only its sneakers. They do this by emphasizing difference, when in fact many shoes are made in the same factories to the same specifications. We usually have much more in common than we think, but because we've been groomed to react to certain wedge issues, we tend to see difference despite our great number shared values.
Thoughtless brand loyalty seems harmless when we're talking Nike vs. Reebok, but when people start to use their votes the same way that they shop for footwear, we are bound for gridlock.
The internet is part of the problem but could be part of the solution. It's too easy to rebroadcast other people's pre-packaged opinions on issues instead of gathering information and considering it thoughtfully. Jeff, I've always respected that you take the time to research issues and draw your own conclusions. They are perhaps not as catchy as the latest, most shared piece of political theater, but they are much more likely to lead to a constructive dialogue.
Thanks for the post. I enjoyed it thoroughly.