I did something today, that makes me feel quite righteous. I feel very good about it. I know my friends, however, may not feel the same way. So I don't ant any grief okay. I'll respect your decisions and ideologies and you'll respect mine! I registered as a member of the Green Party.
Why? Well, this labor strike at my hospital has caused me to see a whole different side of the Democrats. A side that Richard Hofstadter wrote about in 1946. A side that many of the socialist students on campus would lament about to me on the quad. Democrats are part of the problem, not the solution. They are deprave with self interest just as much as the Republicans, even if the argument is made that their interests are more beneficent and utilitarian.
I have become disgusted with the masturbatory ways of our two-party system.
For fun, I visited the Green Party's website. I had never done this before. I wrote them off as illegitimate from the start, much like the rest of America does. But you know what I found? I found that they represent me and my values precipitously better than the Democrats. They actually know what they're talking about when they advocate for environmental policy change. They're not in bed with anyone. They actually care about true social justice. And here's the kicker, they have support for same-sex marriage written into their national and state platforms! Other pluses: public elections (socialized), dismantling of the two party system, corporate responsibility, universal healthcare and so on.
My friends will say I'm wasting my time on a lost utopian ideal. They'll say I'm wasting my vote. To them, I say, "Visit their website. Talk to some of them. Learn a bit about them. Even just a little bit. Then tell me they're not at least trying to 'fight the good fight'." I say, I'm being true to myself, my values and, most importantly, embracing the virtue of justice. I have right on my side. These are things neither the Democrats or the Republicans have the ability to do. I'm done playing party politics. It's over for me.
Why? Well, this labor strike at my hospital has caused me to see a whole different side of the Democrats. A side that Richard Hofstadter wrote about in 1946. A side that many of the socialist students on campus would lament about to me on the quad. Democrats are part of the problem, not the solution. They are deprave with self interest just as much as the Republicans, even if the argument is made that their interests are more beneficent and utilitarian.
I have become disgusted with the masturbatory ways of our two-party system.
For fun, I visited the Green Party's website. I had never done this before. I wrote them off as illegitimate from the start, much like the rest of America does. But you know what I found? I found that they represent me and my values precipitously better than the Democrats. They actually know what they're talking about when they advocate for environmental policy change. They're not in bed with anyone. They actually care about true social justice. And here's the kicker, they have support for same-sex marriage written into their national and state platforms! Other pluses: public elections (socialized), dismantling of the two party system, corporate responsibility, universal healthcare and so on.
My friends will say I'm wasting my time on a lost utopian ideal. They'll say I'm wasting my vote. To them, I say, "Visit their website. Talk to some of them. Learn a bit about them. Even just a little bit. Then tell me they're not at least trying to 'fight the good fight'." I say, I'm being true to myself, my values and, most importantly, embracing the virtue of justice. I have right on my side. These are things neither the Democrats or the Republicans have the ability to do. I'm done playing party politics. It's over for me.
3 comments:
Wes!!!! It's so good to know that I now have a blogging nerd in my rl friends! I don't think you've done anything wrong by registering to the Green Party. Honestly, if you're going to go with a group that you acctually believe in (GASP!) then I say go for it!
Ok, now don't tell anyone about my blog! Oh, wait. Are you still the gossip queen of the west coast? (just kidding, you know I love you!)
Isn't the Green Party more Union friendly than the Democrats?? (Rhetorical question.)
"I'm done playing party politics." hehe, good job Wes. Party politics SUCK!
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