"I’m Not The Radical Left, I’m The Humane Middle
The above link was posted by a FB friend, and below is the text from that piece. I am going to copy our discussion into the comments here since this already a long post... :-)
"Apparently, I’ve been radicalized and I wasn’t aware.
Certain people call me the “radical Left” all the time.
I never considered myself radical before.
I just thought I was normal, ordinary, usual.
I thought equity was important to everyone.
I imagined America was filled with people who took that Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness stuff seriously—for all people.
I thought the Golden Rule was actually mainstream.
Recently I took an inventory of my positions, screening for the extremism:
I believe in full LGBTQ rights.
I believe we should protect the planet.
I believe everyone deserves healthcare.
I believe all religions are equally valid.
I believe the world is bigger than America.
I believe to be “pro-life,” means to treasure all of it.
I believe whiteness isn’t superior and it is not the baseline of humanity.
I believe we are all one interdependent community.
I believe people and places are made better by diversity.
I believe people shouldn’t be forced to abide by anyone else’s religion.
I believe non-American human beings have as much value as American ones.
I believe generosity is greater than greed, compassion better than contempt, and kindness superior to derision.
I believe there is enough in this world for everyone: enough food, enough money, enough room, enough care—if we unleash our creativity and unclench our fists.
I’m not sure how these ideas became radical, though it seems to have happened in the last few years.
I grew up being taught they were just part of being a decent human being.
I grew up believing that loving my neighbor as myself, meant that I actually worked for their welfare as much as my own.
I was taught that caring for the least in the world, was the measure of my devotion to God.
I thought that inalienable rights of other people were supposed to be a priority as a decent participant in the world.
I don’t think I’m alone.
In fact, I’m pretty sure that most people reside here in this place alongside me: the desire for compassion and diversity and equality and justice; that these things aren’t fringe ideologies or extremist positions—but simply the best way to be human.
I think most people want more humanity, not less.
I think the vast middle is exhausted by the cruelty of these days.
That these aspirations seem radical to some people, is probably an alarm that they’ve moved so far into the extremes of their fortified ideological bunkers and been so poisoned by the propaganda, that normal now seems excessive, that equality now seems oppressive, that goodness feels reckless.
Maybe the problem is, these people are so filled with fear for those who are different, so conditioned to be at war with the world, so indoctrinated into a white nationalistic religion of malice—that they’ve lost sight of what being a human being looks like anymore.
I am pretty sure that I don’t represent the “radical Left,” but the vast, disparate, compassionate, humane Middle; people who are not threatened by someone else’s presence, who do not see another person’s gain as their loss, who don’t worship a Caucasian, American god.
I suppose humanity feels radical to inhumane people.
In that case, I’ll gladly be here in my extremism."
The above link was posted by a FB friend, and below is the text from that piece. I am going to copy our discussion into the comments here since this already a long post... :-)
"Apparently, I’ve been radicalized and I wasn’t aware.
Certain people call me the “radical Left” all the time.
I never considered myself radical before.
I just thought I was normal, ordinary, usual.
I thought equity was important to everyone.
I imagined America was filled with people who took that Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness stuff seriously—for all people.
I thought the Golden Rule was actually mainstream.
Recently I took an inventory of my positions, screening for the extremism:
I believe in full LGBTQ rights.
I believe we should protect the planet.
I believe everyone deserves healthcare.
I believe all religions are equally valid.
I believe the world is bigger than America.
I believe to be “pro-life,” means to treasure all of it.
I believe whiteness isn’t superior and it is not the baseline of humanity.
I believe we are all one interdependent community.
I believe people and places are made better by diversity.
I believe people shouldn’t be forced to abide by anyone else’s religion.
I believe non-American human beings have as much value as American ones.
I believe generosity is greater than greed, compassion better than contempt, and kindness superior to derision.
I believe there is enough in this world for everyone: enough food, enough money, enough room, enough care—if we unleash our creativity and unclench our fists.
I’m not sure how these ideas became radical, though it seems to have happened in the last few years.
I grew up being taught they were just part of being a decent human being.
I grew up believing that loving my neighbor as myself, meant that I actually worked for their welfare as much as my own.
I was taught that caring for the least in the world, was the measure of my devotion to God.
I thought that inalienable rights of other people were supposed to be a priority as a decent participant in the world.
I don’t think I’m alone.
In fact, I’m pretty sure that most people reside here in this place alongside me: the desire for compassion and diversity and equality and justice; that these things aren’t fringe ideologies or extremist positions—but simply the best way to be human.
I think most people want more humanity, not less.
I think the vast middle is exhausted by the cruelty of these days.
That these aspirations seem radical to some people, is probably an alarm that they’ve moved so far into the extremes of their fortified ideological bunkers and been so poisoned by the propaganda, that normal now seems excessive, that equality now seems oppressive, that goodness feels reckless.
Maybe the problem is, these people are so filled with fear for those who are different, so conditioned to be at war with the world, so indoctrinated into a white nationalistic religion of malice—that they’ve lost sight of what being a human being looks like anymore.
I am pretty sure that I don’t represent the “radical Left,” but the vast, disparate, compassionate, humane Middle; people who are not threatened by someone else’s presence, who do not see another person’s gain as their loss, who don’t worship a Caucasian, American god.
I suppose humanity feels radical to inhumane people.
In that case, I’ll gladly be here in my extremism."
13 comments:
G2A
"Oh God... That was painful... Though it does support one of my beliefs that people think they are "moderate", "normal", "middle", etc no matter their political or social views.
My belief is that most people are humane... It is just that some think they should use the governmental authority to force their will and perceptions on their fellow citizens.
Be it people on the Left forcefully robbing Peter to pay Paul, allowing illegal workers to flood and depress opportunities for American citizens, supporting irresponsible adults keeping and raising babies poorly, etc.
Or
People on the Right blocking a Woman from terminating the life growing in her womb, stopping loving people from getting married, fighting against limiting pollution, etc.
The ability to rationalize one's position as "best" is a gift from either God or the Devil. :-) :-("
FB Friend
" I’ve ridden the wave from conservative to left of center in my life. I shared this because I really do believe the right has shifted way further to the right over the last 25 years and there are few, if any, right-leaning moderates in office. Maybe the same has happened to the left in response. Hard to say. But many of the values Pavlovitz is referring to used to be shared by a wider expanse across the middle from left to right."
G2A
"Personally I think it is the LEFT that keeps moving the "end zone"...
Just think of the changes that have occurred over the past 100 years: Social security, SS Disability, Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare, Inter-racial housing /Marriages / etc, LGBTQ Marriages, Historic numbers of Immigrants, Abortion Rights, Pollution control regs, etc...
And is this enough for the LEFT? Of course not, they want more "free stuff", more refugees, more controls on the behaviors of religious people, more regulations, etc."
G2A The Left Keeps Pulling the Boat
FB Friend
"To be clear, if you consider non-white supremacy, freedom of and from religion, inter-racial marriage and inter-racial housing as “left” ideals then you have totally proven my point."
G2A
"I am just stating examples of how much change has occured in our nation. Often I think that Liberals forget this.
I have no doubt that some some Conservatives are trapped in the 1950's, however I think it is a pretty small number. And the reality is that they are still the same... No change there. (ie Right did not move Right)
As for "freedom of and from religion", sorry but the US Government Policies, Rules, etc will always be in line with Social Norms. It comes with being a democracy. And since many people are religious, it impacts social norms.
And at this time being LGBT is somewhat like a religion, since no one knows how to tell if a person is or is not without asking them. Where as age, sex, disability, race, etc and the other protected classes are truly fact, not choice.
Now religion is clearly protected in our country's founding documents. So who wins in a contest between Religion and LGBTQ rights? At the current time it should be Religious Rights. (see link for my "freedom of association" rationale)
G2A One Way Tolerance
G2A
"Now let's consider that the Left was always anti-Religious Freedom, pro-Refugee, pro-Abortion, anti-sin laws, and pro-Dem Socialism / government.
And the Right was always pro-Religious Freedom, anti-Refugee, anti-Abortion, pro-sin laws and pro-Capitalism / Charity.
Then our society just becomes a big tug of war. Which is probably more accurate than saying that either side has changed drastically in a "bad" direction. :-)"
Given we have a president who thinks Obama was born in Kenya, I have no problem at all in classifying myself as a moderate.
--Hiram
I'm with our FB friend
Well you Liberals all have to stick together... :-)
your comment thread is confusing. Is this a comment that you made? Do you seriously consider yourself left of center?
" I’ve ridden the wave from conservative to left of center in my life. I shared this because I really do believe the right has shifted way further to the right over the last 25 years and there are few, if any, right-leaning moderates in office. Maybe the same has happened to the left in response. Hard to say. But many of the values Pavlovitz is referring to used to be shared by a wider expanse across the middle from left to right."
Laurie,
I put the author of each comment at the start of each, so no I still acknowledge that I am just right of center and slightly towards Libertarian...
FB Friend
" I’ve ridden the wave from conservative to left...
G2A Where is John?
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