Remember back to the Gonzales nomination?
Well, at the time, a bunch of bloggers -- around 500 or so -- put up
a banner on their site protesting the Gonzales nomination. I was one of
those bloggers. After the dust had cleared, a bunch of the bloggers
started talking via email and decided to keep a loose affiliation
together -- the Indie 500
-- to attempt to coordinate and share information to help get news and
articles spread more quickly through the blogosphere. It was a great
idea.
Unfortunately, I've since been watching the mailing list with a
slowly growing sense that I really don't belong with this group. There
are a few participants who seem to delight in going for the throat of
any opponent who gets in their sights. Namecalling, personal attacks,
Photoshop photo edits -- stuff I'd expect out of fraternities. What's
worse, though, is that nobody seems to call anyone else on it and say,
"I don't think that's the right way to get the point across. I think
you are doing more harm to us collectively than any good you may
achieve."
So maybe this isn't the crowd for me. I dunno. I happen to think
that this continuing trend of demonizing our political opponents is
more evil than anything else that is happening to us today -- and hate
seems to be the only truly bi-partisan value in this country of mine.
As I've commented before, polarization seems to be the order of the day
and it shows us all to be idiots. I want no part of contributing to it
and I want no part of endorsing it. I am adult enough to disagree with
someone on major issues without needing to personally despise them. I
am educated enough to handle the fact that thinking adults can make
decisions I don't agree with without somehow becoming instantly stupid,
uninformed, lazy, or apathetic. I value my integrity enough to stand up
for principled behavior wherever I see it, in whomever I see it.
I don't need tags of Red State, Blue State, conservative, liberal,
or other pigeonholes to direct my thinking and tell me who the enemy
is, thank you very much. I don't believe I have nearly as many enemies
as people seem to be trying so hard to get me to think I do. People who
live in Iowa aren't my enemy. People who vote Republican aren't my
enemy. People who want to legalize gay marriage aren't my enemy. People
who are dissatisfied with the current administration aren't my enemy.
People who try to get me to stop seeing other people as
individuals -- who try to get me to hate others because of their
political affiliation -- they are my enemy. And they are yours.
I believe that all people are made equal by God regardless of race,
creed, color, orientation, gender, or place of birth. Doesn't that --
shouldn't that -- include the place they happen to live, the color of
their state, and their political beliefs?
If you expect others to respect your beliefs and the life you have chosen, you must
return that respect no matter how much you disagree with their beliefs
and choices. When I was in the Navy, they told us we didn't have to
like the officer in order to salute; at the very least, we saluted the
insignia on the collar and all it represented. I don't have to like you
or agree with your choices to respect and honor your right to make
them. But when I deem you to be my inferior, I repudiate with my every
action the high-minded words that flow from my mouth.
I don't really care who started the fight. This blue/red
liberal/conservative he-said/she-said shit, my friends and readers, has
got to stop. Because as long as we indulge in it, we cede our country, ouselves, every gift God has given us, and
every fine thing we have made, to those who would abuse them. We willingly place
ourselves into slavery to evil.
All over a color.