Jan. 25th, 2006

sab: (hawkeye leaves a wakeup call)
Picking up where I left off in the last post. SEP, thanks for bringing up some interesting points (I took the PEW quiz and am still a Liberal), but mostly I want to get some stuff square, between me and Teri, between me and any other Republican friends who might be frequenting this LJ. Along with a general amnesty to those of any political stripe to go ahead and defriend me and I will absolutely understand -- my brand of vitriol isn't for everybody and that's cool too.

So first, the observations Teri made about generalizing based on political affiliation, and the need to deal with each other as individuals first. I think we can all get together and agree on this one, the bit where we respect one another as individuals and appreciate that each person has her own set of agendas and a giant American forum in which to voice them, at least as long as the Bill of Rights holds out, yes? Me, I sat down and had that conversation in fourth grade. Freedom of expression. Respect individual opinions. And henceforth shall the slashers and the hetshippers continue to live in peace and harmony. (I mock, just a little. I hate having my honest expression met with -- irrelevant! -- cliche, don't you?)

Which is to say, the crux of my argument is as follows: if you voted for Bush, I will, and can, rightly group you with a set of individuals who ALSO VOTED FOR BUSH, thus generalizing you as "Bush voters," who I will, and can, oppose, SIMPLY because your candidate -- for whom you CHOSE to vote -- stands in opposition to the values I hold dear.

If you feel like I'm generalizing you or pickin' on you for that, dammit, man, I don't know what to say. If you don't want to be grouped with Bush voters, VOTE for someone ELSE. If you're embarassed by, or even not proud of, your political affiliations, maybe you need to rethink 'em?

Being a Republican, or a Democrat, or a non-affiliated progressive, or anarchist, or neo-con, is NOT a protected class. It's not like being Filipino or blind or a midget. Because of that, I OWN my party affiliation, I am PROUD to be a Democrat, despite not being in lockstep with all the leaders of my party, despite maintaining my own individual beliefs, values, and rights. I still vote with my party, campaign for my party, and fight for the values that are crucial to my party. I'm not embarassed to be grouped or generalized with Democrats, because of that thing we all learned in fourth grade, see above, where we're ALREADY respecting one another as individuals, but still have the need to find -- as SEP pointed out -- a group of like-minded individuals with whom to ORGANIZE and FIGHT. Which is of course a partisan difference in itself -- while the Left is (I generalize) fighting for the right to bargain collectively and go on strike, the Right is (I generalize) fighting for the rights of individuals to invest their own social security, keep their own estate taxes, and own their own guns. Just an interesting coinc-idink, don't you think?

If you don't agree with the platforms of your party -- if you do, as you said, Teri, support MY values and respect MY ideals, for reals, you'd vote for MY candidates. If there is one thing we can generalize according to political belief, I would think, I would hope, it would be political affiliation. Not all blind Filipino midgets vote alike. But, dammit, all Bush-voters VOTED FOR BUSH. And despite everything else, you have put him in office, put him BETWEEN me and what I'm fighting for, and therefore, you are, if not an enemy, an OBSTACLE.

Now -- back to fourth grade again -- this doesn't mean I won't break bread with you, or engage you in debate, or squee over TV, or invite you to parties, or respect you any less as an INDIVIDUAL, because my mama and my friends taught me right. However, asking me not to judge you -- Bush-voters -- on the basis of your political affiliation is...not bloody likely.

Now. If we didn't have a two-party system -- rather, if we lived in a utopia where everyone's agendas and opinions were given equal airtime and weight, if we could pick and choose issues from both sides of the aisle and cobble together fifty third-party candidates, there might be more room for this kind of individualized thinking. Where, sure, you voted for Bush, but you really are pro-gay marriage, really! might actually mean something. In the current political climate -- especially if you're not DOING anything about it (canvassed any precincts lately? worked any phone banks?) -- it's next to meaningless.

In February I'm phone banking for Vote For Equality, legalizing gay marriage in California. Wanna come, Teri?

I'm also doing virtual fundraising for Barbara Boxer, a letter writing campaign for the American Humanist Association, and am on the list to help with anti-NSA wiretapping action for the ACLU (there are rallies et al currently happening -- or soon -- in DC, so if you're in DC, you should go!) -- will keep you updated.

Point being. I'm really serious about my political beliefs, because, you know, I LIVE here. I am a vicious patriot, I love this country so much I want to cry sometimes, and I want to fight, every day, to reclaim the civil rights that Jefferson et al promised me, as well as to help this country move into the new millennium and embrace our future (and our role in the global community) responsibly, because we're well beyond superstition and well into future science and the world only spins forward, and is getting smaller every day.

If you oppose these issues, if you think my phone should be tapped, if you think I shouldn't be able to get an abortion or get married, if you think it's okay that we're the only G8 nation not to join the fight against global warming, if you think it's appropriate to teach creationism alongside -- or instead of! -- evolution, if you don't support sex education in schools, if you want to blur church and state, if you want to strip social security in favor of private accounts or strip public schools in favor of vouchers, if you don't care about being a responsible player in the global community, rather than a fundamentalist anomaly -- you do NOT have the same values as me! That's not judgemental, that's FACT. And I respect you profoundly for your commitment to your beliefs, even if they're different from mine.

But if you DO share my values, if you agree with me on most or all of the above, and you STILL voted for Bush -- well, that's just crazy.
sab: ("aaaaapparently" says dr. cox)
Anybody know how to get to the full version of the userinfo page with the new-school embedded URL? Now when I try t access http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=iamsab&mode=full it just redirects to iamsab.livejournal.com/profile, which isn't the full version? And when I tack &mode=full to the end of THAT URL, nothing whatsoever happens.

Yeah, the embedded URL is nice and sleek and sexy, but MAN so far it's more trouble than it's worth.

Profile

sab: (Default)
sab

May 2018

S M T W T F S
  123 45
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 3rd, 2025 06:05 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios