From the Left
Our political climate has become so awash in muck in the last chunk of years that I don’t think we know who we are anymore. Political parties are corporations with old names and candidates are simply the highest bidders in crazy farm auctions where we, the people, are the livestock. There was a time when I looked to my ancestors and my country and knew that I was proud to be a Democrat from a short but stubborn line of New England immigrant Democrats. I’m no longer sure what a Democrat is anymore. The Democans (or are they The Republicrats?) have sullied the waters of a good revolution and too many people are arguing for nearly the same things, but from different sides of the schoolyard hurtling insults at each other. And have you noticed that no one really listens to the arguments anymore? Everything is Us-Them, Blue-Red, Good Guys-Bad Guys. Whatever happened to a good discussion, an exchange of ideas, risk-taking? What happened to progress?
Grassroots democracy. Ecological wisdom. Social justice and equal opportunity. Nonviolence. Decentralization. Community-based economics. Feminism. Respect for diversity. Personal and global responsibility. Future focus and sustainability. Given the choice, I’ll vote Green-Rainbow any day of the week. But I’m a registered Democrat because I live in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, if you aren’t a Democrat you don’t get to vote much, at least in the primaries. Most of the time around these parts, we’re a one-party state. That’s irritating.
I’m socially liberal, fiscally liberal, philosophically liberal. I like big government, and I’m not afraid to say so. I think the haves should take care of the have nots, and they should be proud to do so. I think we’ve forgotten that we’re almost all immigrants, and we all deserve rights. I think that Americans, all Americans, should be treated equally in the law – in every state. I think that people should be able to marry whomever they choose. I think that religion and government are important, but separate, entities. I think we should be giving more money to social services and less to the military, unless we’re going to start actually paying and treating our soldiers well. I think our society exists in such a way to keep the down folks down and the up folks up. I try to be the voice of the poor, the voice of the young, and the voice of the disenfranchised. I am against war, and I don’t believe that means that I hate America.
I’m definitely looking forward to learning more about the issues through the eyes of my fellow writers and engaging in dynamic discourse. Admittedly, I don’t spend as much time as my colleagues analyzing books or quoting philosophers because I’m often too busy talking to actual human people. I read a lot of policy. I write a lot of letters. I vote. I march. I mobilize young people and try to dispel apathy. I try to save the world at the same time. But I don’t purport to speak for all of the Left; my simple, little piece of it will have to do.
Massachusetts sounds remarkably similar to Georgia when I was growing up where you were a Democrat (and many still are) because that was the only party. In 1984 Mack Mattingly was elected the first GoP Senator from Georgia since reconstruction (talk about holding a grudge).
One other comment…in the end the goals of the Democrats and the Republicans should be the same. How we attain those goals might differ, but all should strive for prosperity for all, security for all, and the success of our country. One side might think that it is better to lower taxes, and the other to have gov’t programs but hopefully both side still want those basic things.
I agree, not just in terms of Democrats and Republicans, but for everyone in politics, third parties and non-affiliated individuals included. It really /should/ be a bunch of people with common goals who have different ideas of how to attain them.
‘Should’ doesn’t happen very often, though, does it? Maybe someday.