No Longer a Liberal!
I have renounced my liberal label!
Yesterday I voted and it felt DAMN good to give the big ol’ FU to Bredesen, Ford, and Cooper and to stand up for my right to marry the person I love. I’m really fuckin’ pissed off at the people saying they’re just holding their nose and voting anyway for bigots. They're not the ones seeing their personal lives up for a vote and blatantly disregared and "less than." You guys don't know what it feels like to have THREE neighbors within less than a mile from you have "Vote YES" signs in their yard, letting you know without a doubt that someone nearby hates you so much that they'll vote against you protecting your family.
I swear to God the Democratic Party has become so unprincipled, misguided, and well, scared cowards that they’d vote for Satan himself if he just had a “D” behind his name.
What does liberal really mean anyway?
Dictionary.com provides a few ideas:
7. free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners.
8. open-minded or tolerant, esp. free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.
9. characterized by generosity and willingness to give in large amounts: a liberal donor.
10. given freely or abundantly; generous: a liberal donation.
11. not strict or rigorous; free; not literal: a liberal interpretation of a rule.
—Synonyms 1. progressive. 7. broad-minded, unprejudiced. 9. beneficent, charitable, openhanded, munificent, unstinting, lavish. See generous. 10. See ample.
Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
The Democratic Party has taken this definition and twisted its meaning. They want so hard to be “back in power” that they have become too tolerant of unliberal beliefs. In their zeal to “tolerate” others, they’ve opened themselves to the prejudiced and bigoted parts of our world. They’re tolerating the wrong people! They’re listening to hateful bigots while turning their back on the very people who have time and again put them into power. I refuse to be a party to this blatant stupidity and unscrupulous moral blindness anymore.
Take the TN race with Harold Ford, for example (not to mention many others from across the country). Numerous “liberals” have told me they will hold their nose and vote for this unrepentant bigot and homophobe, just because he’s a Democrat. They’ve listened to the lies of false prophets saying Ford won’t be nearly as bad as ANY Republican that might get voted in. They’ve opened their minds to falsehoods and they are falling into the snare of the enemy. Sometimes, being too “open-minded” and “too tolerant” of the opposition is a bad thing.
Liberals have gotten the reputation of being “flaky” and “uncertain,” even “wishy-washy,” not by lies but by their own behavior. They’ve not taken a principled and unwavering stand on unrepentant bigotry and homophobia. They’ve tolerated the middle-road, half-loaf, back of the bus but at least on the bus mindset for too long. Their inability to be principled and firm has led to their demise and it will continue to lead to their failure to win elections.
I can’t even count how many “liberals” I’ve told that if they don’t stand firm, they will lose and continue to lose. You don’t win by mimicking the Other. You win by differentiating yourself from the Other.
I’m no longer a liberal. I’m a principled American.
prin‧ci‧pled /prnsəpəld/
–adjective imbued with or having moral principles (often used in combination): high-principled.
Based on, marked by, or manifesting principle: a principled decision; a highly principled person.
based on or manifesting objectively defined standards of rightness or morality; "principled pragmatism and unprincipled expediency"; "a principled person"
4 Comments:
Callie, you started to say something about Harold Ford and stopped short. Can you give me the skinny on him? BTW, your link on my site is off for some reason, can oyu put it back up? I am no good at these things, lol.
"I’m no longer a liberal. I’m a principled American."
That you are, Callie!
Callie,
I want this essay for "Christ, The Gay Martyr." Oh PLEASE, PLEASE let me run it!!!!
On a related topic, I often disagree with the political stances of Andrew Sullivan. However, today he posted something on his blog that I'm 100% in agreement with:
"Too many gay activists do stellar work fighting against anti-gay marriage amendments and laws. But they are too often crippled by self-censorship and, well, politics. Evan Wolfson, one of the heroes of today's civil rights movement, expains why this is counter-productive here:
'So far, too many of our state campaigns—both the short-term election efforts and the longer-term public education work—fail to offer the voting public real content and an authentic engagement. Too often they have not used the airtime of an election battle to talk about gay people and marriage — the two things these ballot measures are most about — instead relying on generic appeals to fairness. Too many of our side's campaigns have chosen to emphasize collateral effects on non-gay families, as if voters will really be persuaded that what the media will always refer to as "the marriage amendment" is somehow not about gay people's freedom to marry. Worst of all, many campaigns and activists have gone with the message that people should vote the measure down simply because it is "unnecessary" or "goes too far." That subliminally suggests — unintentionally, but in a way that is still damaging to our long-term movement — that some discrimination is okay and that it would indeed be a problem if we really did have gay couples marrying.'
We will not win until we are unafraid. I believe civil marriage for gay couples is moral, it is right, it is good for society - and anything less is immoral, wrong and bad for society as a whole. (My fundamental case is made in my 1995 book, 'Virtually Normal.') Let us make this case - calmly, honestly, openly. And we will win - for one reason only. Because we are right."
Stuffed, be my guest!
Too many of our side's campaigns have chosen to emphasize collateral effects on non-gay families
That's always bugged me! I could never put it in the right words, but it always aggravates me when someone says "but it really gets folks attention when they realize it could affect them."
It gives the impression that if it only impacts gay people then it's okay, but we should REALLY be up in arms if it affects non-gay people.
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