Well, sorry it's been eleven days. In the past few days alone I've spent two full days at BSU competing in a debate tournament (Superior in Lincoln Douglas woop woop!) and all of today lobbying healthcare legislation in the capitol (learned Senator Hagedorn lives just down the road from me). But today has brought up something that has always pissed me off: hatred of political beliefs other than one's own.
I'm going to lay it all out. I am SUCH a Libertarian. I would consider myself liberal (You know, classical liberalism, that protection of liberty and support of the free market and individual rights thing that America was founded on? Sorry friends, liberal DOES NOT=Democrat.) and even radical sometimes. But you know what? I have approximately a bazillion Republican friends, just as many Democrats, even some Socialists and Anarcho-communists. And I respect the vast majority of those beliefs. You know why? Because they have reasons for what they believe, examples, the like. I don't agree with a lot of things they say. Heck, I don't agree with some portions of America's Libertarian party platform. But if you can reasonably tell me why you believe what you do, I will have profound respect for you.
What I DON'T have respect for is people telling me that my beliefs (or those of other people) are wrong with ZERO support. I will NOT stop hanging out with my Democrat friends just because you believe "they're wrecking our country" or "are wiping their butt with the Constitution". I love them. And I don't care. You making inflammatory statements and getting all frustrated when I ask you for some evidential support of your beliefs does absolutely nothing but make me think that your brain has been fully formed by the influence of others. Which is pathetic, in case you were wondering.
I love hating on the current President just as much as the next guy. Actually I don't, because that's a really hard job. But may I point out:
FDR was a Democrat. And he saved our sorry asses after the war. Federal reserve? Complete social reform? Yeah, that was him. Think about that when you're saying all Democrats (Not liberals.) are something bad.
Nixon was a Republican. See above.
Abraham Lincoln was a Republican. He stopped that thing called, you know, slavery. The Civil War. Think about that when you're saying all Republicans (Not conservatives, because while, for instance, Romney is a Republican, he's a pretty dang liberal Republican. There's also Log Cabin Republicans, who are pro LGBT rights, and there are some Republicans who are pro-choice. Lay off.) are something bad.
Clinton was a Democrat. See above.
Now that I've adequately shown you that party has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH PERSONAL CHARACTER, I'd like you to consider NOT bashing other people's beliefs. I'll be as liberal, or as conservative, as I want. And you can't change that. Another thing to consider - don't talk politics with family, especially when they fall under the category above. (There are a select few exceptions. My uncle Lisle is the most well-versed Republicans I know. And again, that's worthy of respect.) It just makes them think you're some tree-hugger beatnik Robin Hood of social welfare (or a gun-loving, NASCAR attending, well, you know) regardless of how moderate you are, and makes you lose respect for their level of intelligence. Neither of those are good paths to take.
While we're at it, same principle goes for other religions, other modes of study, other choices of dress, culture, the like. DIVERSITY MAKES THE FREAKING WORLD GO ROUND. So appreciate it instead of knocking it. I'll be moving back to some inner city or foreign country happily in a few months, because I actually very much enjoy experiencing other cultures. If that's not your thing, stay in the very white West. But you have zero right to say anything negative about a people, religion, or culture that you don't know about. So next time you think they're weird, ask them what they ACTUALLY believe or do, then realize that they have huge misconceptions about you too, and as a result, bond over mutual strangeness.
I feel much better getting that off my chest. Goodnight.
<3 Moriah
Hey! I'm a friend of a friend on Facebook (and I think we took Intro to Latin together at Davidson, if memory serves me right) and saw one of your blog posts on my Facebook wall. From what I've read, I've gotta hand it to you, you aren't afraid to speak your mind (meant purely as a compliment, not a slight). I try too hard to please EVERYONE and wouldn't attempt to openly express my opinion on topics like this one. But I digress.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you handle others' political preferences. There is no reason to assume anything about a person solely based on their political beliefs. Well, it is safe to guess what their response would be during a conversation about current events, but a guess is a guess, not fact. Character really is not decided by what party one represents. So although I become concerned with politics, I don't allow it to influence my perception of individual people.
Now, what annoys me on the societal level is the amount of people willing to hop onto bandwagons. For example, about 70% of young adults end up voting about the same way as their parents (Link to Gallup poll - http://www.gallup.com/poll/14515/Teens-Stay-True-Parents-Political-Perspectives.aspx). Obviously there is a number of us who vote the same way or slightly differently from the way our parents vote (myself included) but have taken the time to look at the picture from all angles, to really TRY to think as the "opposite" party would, or to just think independently. Yet I'll hazard a guess that for most, this isn't the case. A lot of my friends voted in the last election. When the "Who ya gonna vote for?" question arose, I was able to back up my opinion with each candidate's platform, what promises each had made, what issues each were avoiding, etc. But what gave me pause is that too much of the time, when I asked the question in return I received a paltry answer. "Obama sucks, so Romney is going to bail out this economy." Or, "I don't think Obama has done such a bad job, he's got my vote."
...
What?
I was surprised by how little clarification I received sometimes as to why a person had decided to vote a certain way. Perhaps not everyone wants to voice their true opinion. Maybe they don't want to sound versed in politics, because it isn't "cool". Yet I can't help but feel as if the majority answer is that they couldn't care to do a little bit of research before casting their precious vote (which makes me want to express just how important voting is, and how many throw it away - but that is a topic for a different day). This is also why I get more than a little frustrated with media these days. From what I've heard, seen, and read, most major news sources lean towards one side or another. If average Americans aren't interested in finding information for themselves, the media has the perpetual ability to pump opinions down their throats - all without the recipient's realization.
Geez... I could continue on like that for ages, but that is enough. Back to studying.
We did take Intro to Latin together. :) You step dance also, right? (Sorry, I'm horrible about replying in a timely manner.)
DeleteI COMPLETELY agree with you. That's what bothers me most about politics, and is the reason why I don't talk about it with my family and many friends. My government teacher once said that the scary reason our society is the way it is is because they vote based on feelings rather than facts. (Lots of is'es there.) Anyway, not just the media, but people themselves being partisan, like you said about parents, helps shape thousands of opinions without people even realizing it. You have to fact check EVERYTHING you hear hahaha. Thinking about it, I now see the reasoning behind the electoral college. I'm not a huge fan, as one who meticulously studies my "suggestion" of a future vote, but our forefathers knew what was up.
Thanks for taking the time to add your commentary, it's appreciated. :)
Yep, I Irish dance. Or did, anyway. Don't have enough time to compete anymore, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteAnd no problem, writing thoughtful commentary is stimulating!