It's my country (I can cry if I want to)

[shadesofmauve]

I've been thinking a lot recently about the differences between liberals and conservatives. The differences that go beyond stated aims, values, and priorities, and into the way we act - specifically, the way we speak about our beliefs, and the different ways we function (or fail to) as groups. Of course I make some generalisations here. I am aware that there are always exceptions to every rule.

I was tense during the election. No, let me rephrase that - I was a nervous wreck. Tuesday and the days following several people who I respect preached patience, coolness, intellect over emotionality, philosophical fatalism. These were called the 'reasonable voices', the words of maturity. The counsel? Live your life - remember, the election doesn't affect you in particular right now. Don't get worked up - it will change again in four years. There's nothing we can do now - sit back and wait. Don't be childish. Don't be overly emotional. It's bad, but nothing to get depressed over.

I disagree.

It's time we admit to our intellectual selves that this is more than a matter of theory and logic. It is important, so important that it is not an over reaction to weep with grief or sing with joy. People live or die based on what this nation does. Whether my life is directly affected or not is not the point, or I would be no better than the rich who cut welfare, the safe who deny protection to others. I want to see the passion and depth of feeling that we decry as immature. If I'm not going to get worked up over this, what is worth getting worked up over? Grades? Broken dishes? When I walked through Western's campus on wednesday, the aura of depression was almost visible. At my mother's state office employees were sobbing on wednesday. That gives me hope, because it means people care. We have to care to make a change, care at a deep visceral level, care with a strength and intensity that matches the fear and religious fervor we are faced with.

Most of my friends and family, myself included, belong to what NPR termed the 'educated secular sophisticates' - a group which tends to be liberal, middle class, and a-religious. In our educated way, we attempt to consider arguments from all angles, to be guided by reason rather than gut feeling, and be stoic when things don't go our way. But human beings are above all emotional creatures. Our counterparts in the conservative camp use that emotion, especially the most manipulable of all - fear.

Liberals are at an idealogical disadvantage. We try to see all sides of an argument, but the people on the other side of the argument are NOT going to extend the same courtesy to us. We value dissent - rebellious voices need to be heard, are nessecary to true dialog. We are a fractured group, while the right rallies around solidarity. We will ALWAYS be at a disadvantage, because of our strengths - because we support the rebelious voices, because we consider the other side, BECAUSE we consider it deeply wrong to manipulate the emotions of the less informed. These are some of our values. I don't suggest we change them - but we have to face them. We could learn to stop stifling each other, to let ourselves show how much we care.

Being passionate doesn't have to mean leaping to conclusions or ignoring new information. You don't have to turn your brain off when you turn your heart on (except in matters of romanc - please don't confuse THAT with politics!). By all means, spend time in logical thought. Push away the emotion, examen the facts, and reach a decision. But once you've reached that decision, stand up for it. Re-evaluate it when new information comes around, but if you really think you're right - well, go ahead and act like it.

Before the accusations' made
Before the charges have been laid
Before your best friend is betrayed
Before your last card has been played
Be right.

And if you think that you've really got the answer
You've got to move with all your heart
And if it feels like it's taken you a lifetime
It's just the start - It's just the start.


So, whats it mean? I'm going to sob, I'm going to weep for the plight of our country and the world. And then I'm damn well going to get up and do something about it. I'm going to talk about issues I avoid, to people who disagree with me, people who awe me with the strength of their unshakable faith, their religious convictions. And I'm going to show them some faith and convictions of my own.

Comments

[madalchemist.livejournal.com]

I give you my word as a History Major that in 30 years Bush will be remembered as one the worst presidents in American history by just about every one except the far right, who will try to paint him, as they did Reagen, a under appreciated american Hero. (You all know about Reagen right? Voo-doo economics, Iran-Contra scandal, negotiating with terrorists, driving the nation deep into debt, didn't have the simple decency to die when somebody shot him. )

And all those people who voted Bush in this campaign? They are going to get to explain to their future children and grandchildren how they had a hand in royally fucking over America.

[meliz113.livejournal.com]

I would like to agree with you, but I find it is too much for me. I worked my absolute hardest to be happy on Wednesday for reasons of my own, but I spent the rest of the week inexplicably sad and have had a hard time recovering from it.

And it wasn't because of the election that I was sad. I've seen just enough stupid politics in my short informed life that I know I will spend the better part of the rest of my life cleaning up someone else's mess. (That's what I do, I clean up.) The thing that makes me saddest is the reaction of the liberals I know. They spent the two days after the election being absolutely horrid to the only people who cared, each other. My friends yelled at each other, they called each other names, they blamed each other for what happened. That's why I was sad. And because somehow being happy became a bad thing, the day after the election.

I'm not going to go off on you about being upset, because I think you deserve it, I absolutely respect your need to grieve. But more important than that, I am going to do is applaud you for stiking with your convictions and not yelling at anyone, and for being optimistic enough to get up off the dirt and spend time doing something other than bitch about it. Makes you one of the most level-headed people I know right now. Which is strange considering you just wrote about being emotional. Funny how that works. Ok, I'm done now... long and pointless comment over... thank you.

[fenmere.livejournal.com]

Amen.

[shadesofmauve]

Sorry - is it the general mood you're applauding, or are you just feeling uncustomarily religious? :P

[fenmere.livejournal.com]

I've been saying that. There's no generally secular equivelent that feels as heartfelt. "Fuckin' A" is pretty close but too crass. And mostly it's the last paragraph I'm talking about.

[shadesofmauve]

Heheh. There certainly isn't an adequate secular equivalent, now that I think about it. Iwas just bein' snippy - too much of someone else's religion last night (Why am I supposed to know THEIR damn book when I debate with them?). Then just now I got an hour long education on the 'normal citizens' ' view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...which was interesting, but unsolicited and overwhelming. Just...a bit...fatiqued...

[fenmere.livejournal.com]

That would whipe me out, too. Though it might distract me long enough from my paycheck to make me feel productive again... Well, good luck on your schoolwork, if you have more of it! We* should throw a lighthearted, low-key celebration* when your mostly done, like at the end of the week or something.

*"we" being any number of people that seems appropriate. "celebration" meaning any act that seems appropriate (from a simple high-five to a poker night). ;)

[shadesofmauve]

It wasn't pointless.

I certainly don't think we should turn greif into anger, especially not at each other!

I also feel I need some serious brownie points for my stick-with-it-ness at the moment. I didn't expect to be tested so soon after I posted this, but I just got out of a more than three hour debate with madalchemist's suitemate. I think I did okay and can feel good about it, even though I know I made absolutley no ground.

[meliz113.livejournal.com]

I hereby award you some Serious Brownie Points for your stick-with-it-ness. Use them well. (Or just eat them, they are BROWNIE points after all).

[fenmere.livejournal.com]

Ooh, and please, please don't consider me one of those "voices of maturity"! I may have a few things figured out, and I may be older than you by years and speak with an amazing voice of authority, power, confidence and unerring calm... and melodrama, never forget the melodrama! But I am definitely full of myself, and anyone who's full of himself is suspect, and his views and wisdom must be approached with a certain amount of skepticism. In fact, the only thing you can count on is that I'm probably not lying about how I think I feel (and I qualify that because often, like everyone else, I'm confused).

*gasp for breath*

Please?

[shadesofmauve]

Oh, Fenmere, couldn't you tell that that 'voices of maturity' was sarcasm? Though if you'll read your own posts, you'll see something along the lines of "The only people who've been more mature about this election than myself are my parents..."

Ha! Gotcha. Red handed. :P

[fenmere.livejournal.com]

Ack! Out, damn spot!