I'm a human first, an American second, a liberal third, and a Democrat fourth.

RandomKoolzip

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Fri Jun-17-11 03:08 PM
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I'm a human first, an American second, a liberal third, and a Democrat fourth.

Edited on Fri Jun-17-11 03:20 PM by RandomKoolzip

That's what I consider myself - when I'm in the mood to label stuff.

Politically, spiritually, and philosophically, I gravitate towards ideas, notions, and legislation that facilitate the betterment of humankind and the environment in which it exists, regardless of borders, regionalism, or socially imposed labels. I look for solutions in which the fewest number of people are harmed and the greatest number of people benefit.

It's because of this that I have, in the past, gravitated toward the Democratic Party. However, I owe no allegiance to the Party, as I see political party affiliation as a social construct - and a very limited and often impotent one at that.

What I care about are ideas that help humanity - because before I consider myself a Democrat, I consider myself a liberal. And before I consider myself a liberal, I consider myself an American - and America's ideals (though not necessarily its actions) are, for the most part, very much in a classically liberal mold. And even before I consider myself an American, I consider myself a human - it just so happens that the ideas that I think best offer the most hope for humanity's survival fall under the category "liberal." In other words, I consider myself a liberal because I care about humanity and its survival - and will attach my hopes to whatever institution or body that also shares that ideal. If the Democratic Party proffers liberal legislation, then I'm behind it. If the legislation and ideas it espouses seem more conservative than I'm comfortable with, I will not support it or give lip service to it. This is why it's been so disappointing being a liberal human lately - it really feels as if liberals such as myself have no representation in government. Yet I know with an unbending certainty that there are tens of millions of people who share my worldview in America. We have no one with any power to fight for us.

I will continue to lend my hand and my support to any organization that I believe in my heart is trying to help humanity survive, is trying to benefit the greater good, and is effective at doing so. If that organization happens to be the Democratic Party occasionally, then so be it. The frightening thing is that this seems to be more and more occasional than consistent.

In the meantime, I will continue to act in accordance to an array of ethical principles that I believe helps and facilitates the survival of humanity and its environment: protection of ecosystems, benefits for the poor and needy, living wages for working people, protection of workers against exploitation, the eradication of homophobia, misogyny, racism, and classism...I could go on. These, I believe, are goals which facilitate the health and growth of the human race. It would be a fantastic, edifying thing if there was a powerful organization - one as powerful as that which exists on the right, where well-funded organizations are fostering and furthering right-wing goals, goals I consider in my heart to be life-denying, humanity-killing goals, goals which benefit the few at the expense of the many, goals which run precisely counter to my ethics - which both adhered to those same principles and was politically effective to boot.

Anyway - that's my story and I'm sticking to it.