Politics has been driving me crazy. Since I just returned from the 58th Annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC, this blog entry seemed timely.
Now, you are probably thinking that this is going to be a rant about either the Democrats or the Republicans. Wrong. My political anger is not directed at a specific party, politician or agenda. Instead, it is directed at the people who think that political reasoning is a clear cut choice between one view or another. These are the people who lambast the other viewpoint, demonize their opponents, use snide and cynical remarks to belittle others, and buy into an agenda so deeply that they set aside their reasoning abilities in order to view every issue from the same narrow lens. Both sides are guilty.
I can hear you now, either nodding your head or shouting, “Amen.” Well, if you are projecting my descriptions onto other people, be cautious, because it may be an indication that you have fallen into the trap I’m describing. This isn’t about “them.” This is about you. And me.
I tend to support racial reconciliation, caring for the poor, and environmental protections. I believe that social justice is the underlying strength of a society. Therefore, many cast me as a liberal.
I strongly believe in capitalism, small government, self-reliance, and I detest nanny care legislation. I’m a patriotic white male Christian real estate developer, therefore I’m cast as a conservative.
What nonsense. Using a litmus test to measure political leanings is just typecasting people into two dimensional comic strip characters. Political issues are where our social, economic, religious, philosophical and legal perspectives all come to meet. How can such a complicated and diverse set of issues be so easily summarized as either “left” or “right”? That is shallow and disturbing thinking that reflects a complete lack of nuance.
Several months ago I was playing golf with a couple of friends. One goes off on a rant about Obama. He was automatically assuming that I would agree with him. Some of what he said I agreed with and some of it I disagreed with, but I said nothing because I really just wanted to enjoy the round of golf. The other person playing with us said discreetly to me, “He must not realize you are a progressive.” Which I found both misguided and unenlightened, because that’s just code for “liberal”, and I don’t fit into such easy categories. Both of my playing partners assumed that I either bought into one set of viewpoints or the other. Neither could conceive of a set of viewpoints that embraced some truths from both political spectrums. You see, I do belong to a political party, but I find myself agreeing more with that party’s concepts than their legislation, and more with their philosophical groundings than their candidates.
I’m tired of hearing that conservatives don’t care for the poor and that liberals are unpatriotic. I’m tired of Fox News utilizing fear to promote their political leanings, and I’m tired of MSNBC using snide comments to denigrate people they disagree with. I’m tired of right-wingers who say there is a liberal bias in the media; no it isn’t, and all you need to do is check AM radio or look at the ratings for Fox to see that conservatives viewpoints are easily the most listened or watched force in the media. I’m tired of left-wingers who characterize people of faith as hopelessly out of touch uneducated boobs; no, some of the smartest and best educated men and women on the planet are people of faith. I’m saddened when I think about how our news sources have reverted to late 19th Century yellow journalism that cares more about capturing an audience than telling the truth.
There’s a lot of conversation going on about bringing civility back to the political system. I really hope that happens. It’s a point of prayer for me these days. But I admit to being concerned that civility in politics is wishful thinking as long as people flock to Jerry Springer type arguments, and as long as that behavior is exploited by news outlets driven by ratings.
Now, a few thoughts on the National Prayer Breakfast. Some people try to paint the organizers of this event as some secret cabal who control the government. What nonsense. That’s just garbage dreamed up by a bunch of conspiracy nuts. Yes, the NPB people are secretive, at least more than most, but they are hardly in control of the government. The top leadership tends to be fairly conservative, but then that would be expected for an organization that is largely white, largely male, and entirely protestant. You could say that about hundreds (thousands?) or groups across the country.
Others try to paint it as a group of people who just want to love and reflect Jesus, which is also a gross oversimplification. Yes, they do love Jesus. Yes, they do try to keep their focus on that. But you can’t deny that the organization has inroads into top leadership across the world, and you can’t deny that those leaders shape the thoughts of many in our world. So to simplify it as “just a group of people who love Jesus” is to mischaracterize their influence.
The NPB has its baggage, and they need to own up to that. But it is still on the whole a good organization that helps our country and our world. I’m glad they exist and thankful that they do what they do.
So, some concluding thoughts about political leanings. Don’t demonize people you only know through the media, because you are only getting a biased and shallow perspective that doesn’t reflect the depth and nuance that all people possess. Don’t dismiss people simply because they disagree with your perspective; that actually takes a chunk of your soul away. Don’t put people into a box, because that puts you into an even smaller box. Don’t live in cynicism; that just kills your dreams. Spend no time shouting, most of your time listening, and a few moments whispering. Vote your conscious, but never assume you have a monopoly on truth. We all have a lot to learn. Especially me.