Hear what I mean, not what I say

I am in A Mood this week. Add to that the fact that this morning I simultaneously consumed caffeine, read the newspaper, and listened to Ani DiFranco, and we have a recipe for a rant. Batten down the hatches.

I went to college at a Lutheran school in small-town Iowa, so I have a lot of conservative friends. I also have a lot of friends and family who don't like to think about politics at all. Usually we just don't talk about it, and I'm not sure whether I wish that we did. Every now and then I try to subtly mention how this or that policy has limited my quality of life, but the following post is what I really wish I had the guts to say. This is what I really mean.

Dear conservative friends and family,

I don't have inherent problems with conservatism as a political approach. I don't have (m)any inherent problems with the republican party, though I have endless problems with what the republican party has become. I can respect your decision to vote republican, if you can demonstrate to me that you have really, deeply thought about the ramifications of your vote. I can respect your decision if you can give me a reason good enough to justify all the ways in which republican policies would limit my ability to thrive in this country.

Every time the government or anyone in a position of power makes a move to limit civil rights, to favor those who are already living comfortably, to silence a group that needs to be heard, to make equality less attainable, it is also a move to erase not only my views, but my existence. It is not exclusively conservatives who are to blame for this--it would be unfair of me to omit that fact. But what I want to emphasize is that these are not abstract concepts we are talking about here. We are talking about people. Maybe you have not been personally affected, or maybe you think it only affects people who deserve to be affected. I wish I could convince you to see it this way:
Every day, the politicians and laws of this country make attacks on me, personally.
Every day, we uphold laws that jeopardize the rights and safety of me, your friend.
Every day, presidential candidates claim that unemployment, national debt, and going uninsured are the fault of me, a law-abiding, tax-paying, working (after nearly 5 months of applying for jobs) citizen.
Every day, the rhetoric of the leaders of the United States reinforces the notion that this country does not want, care about, or need me, a human being.

I am constantly told that I am less worthy of rights and legal protections because I am not Christian. Because I am a woman. Because I am gay. Because I live below the legal poverty line. Because I chose a "frivolous" line of education. Many others are bombarded with still more reasons: Because of their skin color, or a disability, or mistakes made in the past, or any number of other reasons.

The United States as a nation is apparently terrified of governments that operate under Islamic law, so much so that it will declare war on such nations. But at the very same time, many of us believe that the best way to run our own country is under Christian law. A great many of the hot issues today are issues exclusively because we have failed to maintain separation of church and state.

Example 1: Educating teenagers about birth control is problematic only if it is against your religion--so don't use it if it is against your religion. It's not a sin to know that there are safer options available to people who are inclined to sin. In a time when our population greatly outstrips our resources, it would benefit us to limit our rate of population growth.

Example 2: Same-sex marriage is an issue only if you are morally opposed to it, and nobody would force you to perform a same-sex marriage. You wouldn't even be obligated to respect same-sex marriages--only to tolerate them and allow your fellow citizens to obtain legal rights and privileges as consenting adults. Weddings contribute a great deal to the economy, so again, benefit.

Even if I weren't able to provide the above examples, when is it ever fair to force someone, by law, to abide by the tenets of your religion? And who decided that these particular beliefs were the ones our nation should enforce? Think how many rules and commandments are laid out in the Bible, and not followed today. I'm not stating anything new here; I'm sure you've thought about it. Only two of the ten commandments are law (three if you count adultery in some states), and if all of them were incorporated into our legal system, then every single one of us would be a criminal.


I do not, by any means, intend for this to be a tirade against Christianity. There is much that is beautiful and good about it, just as there is much that is beautiful and good about any religion. This is precisely the reason no single religion should be favored in our nation's laws.

If you are conservative for reasons other than your religious faith, then I still urge you to consider the ramifications that political policies have for real human beings. Ask yourself why you support the politicians and policies that you do, and whether you want them badly enough to sacrifice the well-being and freedoms of fellow Americans.

This, to me, is the greatest irony of all. Those conservatives who are unable to articulate their reasoning (I don't mean to imply that this refers to the majority of conservatives) generally fall back on an argument along the lines of "Regardless of the problems you may have with the government, at least we have freedom!"
Ouch.
After reading the above post, you should have some idea of how many freedoms I am not afforded, and you will understand why that argument bears no weight for me.

Please, next time you go to the polls, ask yourself who and what you are supporting. Ask yourself what rights and freedoms you think I deserve. I promise to defend yours, as long as they don't preclude everyone else's.

Love,
Your friend, sister, daughter, niece, cousin, fellow citizen and human being.