A number of people have insulted my beliefs on social media without having any idea what I believe. Of course, that is the nature of social media. Some people were certain I was indoctrinated with radical liberal ideologies because I questioned their views and facts. So, I thought I might explain the origins of my ideology.
I was indoctrinated with two radical liberal ideologies as a child. One was political, the other religious.
#1: As a child, I was daily forced to vow my allegiance to striped cloth. There is no vow I took as often as that one. At first, I did not understand why the cloth was important, but then I noticed the only values stated within that pledge: “Liberty and Justice for All.” I found that simple to understand. Never saw it, but I like it as an ideology.
#2: The other indoctrinated idea came from religion. I am not religious and was not raised in a religious family, but I heard this all around me: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This is pretty universal across most faiths and philosophies around the world. It is often recited by people who are inconsistent in its application. I had a difficult time following it consistently throughout my life, though with practice, I would like to think I am getting better. It is the highest aspiration of any belief system to me. (Though I think I higher principle would be “Try to treat everyone as they would like to be treated.”)
Those principles for me underly my liberal views, though they don’t begin to cover the complexity of views I hold. They seem to encompass my understanding of “woke”, though I refuse to label myself woke, because I don’t live these all the time. (And because people on the right have tried to make the word a slur. )
Whatever the word, it is a nice aspiration to work for freedom, fairness, and treating others well. I have no qualms about treating intolerant people with intolerance, though I would like to think I try to get to common understandings.
Those two ideals are the core principles that underly the idea of being the best American and best human I can be. I forget them most of the time, but am inspired by those who practice and try to live these principles.
And I am deeply bothered by those who glom onto manufactured bastardizations of good intentions, using liberal as a derogatory, or saying “wokeism” as a slur to try to take people down rather than doing things to make our country and our world better. There are a lot of people who say the pledge and wave the flag but don’t seem to believe in Liberty and Justice for All.
My radical ideology is a belief in justice, equal application of the law, an opportunity to have basic needs met, work, education, to make a better life for ourselves and our families, and live without fear—regardless of wealth, status, place, gender, how we look, who we love, or how we live. I believe that those with privilege and power should not try to deny these basic rights to others.
This is an aspiration. We will never be perfect and I don’t claim to be. We are all works in progress. Those who sit in opposition, point out hypocrisy, while being hypocritical, and don’t act toward those ends are destructive to this nation and our principles.
I believe if we don’t have Liberty and Justice for All, we don’t have liberty or justice at all. Let’s keep working at it.
- These people don’t like ideology, though they are bound to one.
- They don’t like intolerance, but they are.
- They don’t like ignorance, though they are.
- They think I am inflexible, as they are.
- They don’t like intolerance, but they are.
- They don’t like smugness, but they are smug, and if you give them an intelligent response, you certainly seen as smug.
- They call me ignorant and ill informed, though they never seem to be able to define or explain what they are talking about, because they are parroting ideology.
- They tell me I have bad comprehension when they can’t write a clear sentence.