Peace On That

I was having a conversation with a co-worker that reads my blog and he asked about my political views. Now, thinking how I rant about how I believe that GW Bush is a spawn of the devil, how I think Larry Elders is an alien and how much I detest race-baiting black conservatives, I think it would seem obvious as to my political stance. However, after reading through my blog, it is clear that I have not defined my political views in a clear and concise manner. I hope this series of posts will provide some clarity my position.

I will start by stating that I consider myself a “Progressive”. If you are not sure what that means I will explain it like this: Political progressive persons are not rigid in an ideology like liberalism or conservatism. It is pragmatic approach to politics in that Progressives look to solve problems with the tools available. Unlike Conservatives that believe the government is inherently bad, Progressives believe there is a place for government as well as the private sector to resolve issues.

If a third political party were to emerge, I would like for the leaders of the party to call in the ‘Common’ party. The Progressive’s means to resolving social, economic or educational issues is not frame it within an ideological philosophy but to approach the issue from a common sense perspective. The result is that you will find me agreeing with liberals on some issues and conservatives on others.

Of all the political philosophies, Progressivism is the most flexible because it is bases on a desire to seek fairness within our political and societal structure. This era of hard-line dogma, where political discourse is a game of blood sport, it is hard for people to navigate the opposing ideologies and settle on solutions. Gone is a win-win mentality. Now, it is an “all or nothing” combat where the political pundits reap the rewards and the American people get to play collateral damage.

With that said. Here is a brief synopsis of my political view on the most hotly debated issues of the day.

Gay Marriage: I understand why religious groups would not condone Gay Marriage and they do have that right. However, as much as marriage is a religious institution, it is also a legal institution in the eyes of our government. Therefore, the government has no legal right to discriminate on an arrangement made by two consenting adults. There are some that argue that a Power of Attorney would resolve any issues but that is not the case. Marriage contains a lot of legal and economical protections that could not be written in another legal document. Things such as medical decisions and inheritance are as easy to challenge within the confines of a marriage as they are with a Power of Attorney.

School Voucher: I’m for them in principle, but under the current condition of our educational system I have to rule against them. It is said that a rising tide lifts all ships. That is what needs to take place in our educational system. In a perfect world we could give school vouchers but the conservative agenda is not to assist poor kids in bad schools. Their goal is to eliminate the public schools system. The voucher debate should not take place until we have found a way to improve the entire system.

Prayer in School: Against it. Again, this is another attempt from the Conservatives to dismantle a separation between religious and secular institutions in our society. I recall praying before a geometry test and before my finals in American Government. There is noting that is stops a student from praying if they want. As for access, all student-led school groups should have equal access to school facilities. So those children that are in the Morning Bible Group should have as much access as the Chess club.

Abortion: Personally, I am against abortion - excluding some extreme circumstances. Knowing that abortions will take place and they are medical procedure, I think if a woman wants to have an abortion then that should be her right. I do believe there should be some limits as to when an abortion can take place and I believe in teen notification laws. I would not want my daughter making a decision like that without me and her mother counseling her and giving some guidance and support.

Affirmative Action: This is red herring brought to you by white supremacist and black concussed conservatives (A term coined by Dell Gines) that is only meant as a divisive tool to drive white men to the polls to vote Republican. There is no empirical data suggesting that Affirmative Action programs are propelling black people to job positions they were not qualified to perform. Even after the Civil Rights Act was passed, black men and women found themselves on the outside of opportunities in the workplace and in the halls higher education. Affirmative Action is a tool to curve the systematic racism that lingers in Government, Education and Corporate America. Not nearly the number of blacks and women benefit from Affirmative Action as they would have you believe. Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and Clarence Thomas all benefited from Affirmative Action. I would ask, which of these individuals is not qualified? Before you answer, think of how George Bush got into Yale and how Mike Brown got his position at FEMA.


These are some of the hot-button issues of the day. Stay tuned for Part II.