Politico....apparently I am.

Wow. You're probably thinking, WTF? Two blogs in two days? What the hell is going on here? Well, I'll tell you! First of all, Julia started it. Second of all, I am bored blind at work on Thursday (thinking/wishing it was a Friday) and need something to fill the time. And, as I love to write, this is what I'm going to do.

So, I've been finding myself more and more politically active in recent months. Perhaps this is because of the current presidential campaign, or maybe due to the Political Ideologies class I'm taking this semester. OR it could be a bonus side affect of marrying a man who is more liberal than anyone I had ever met. In any case, I find myself thinking about American Politics more and more these days.

First off, let me say that I have lived my life up to now in about 98% ignorance of the political happenings during my brief time on the planet. Politics, I have always thought, is a grown-up subject that tends to make people angry whenever they discuss it. That was always the case in my family, anyway. I remember eavesdropping on a political discussion that took place between my mom, and her little brother and his wife. I was probably like 14 or 15 at the time. It lasted for hours, and there were a lot of raised voices. Incidentally, that was the last time my uncle and his wife came to my parents' house.

I think that this "discussion" (which was really more of an argument if you ask me) was what compelled me to decide that I would not argue politics with anyone at any time. Looking back, this decision was really just an excuse that I used to prolong my ignorance of the political world. Of course, I took an American Government class in high school, but that was more the history of the Constitution than anything. I was 19 during the 2004 Presidential election, but I didn't vote. I remember talking about the election with my then-fiancé and his roommates, and I remember defending my decision not to vote. "The voting system in this country is flawed! No matter how I vote, it will end up counting Republican because I live in one of the most Republican states in the Union!" (I lived in Idaho, at the time. I now life in THE reddest state: UT). My husband's response: "Well yeah! If everyone thinks that way then that's exactly what is going to happen." He, of course, cannot vote because he is not a citizen, so I think that my blatant disregard for the privilege may have made him a bit angry.

I mention this discussion because I pinpoint it in my memory as the first time I had ever spoken up about my political beliefs. In fact, this flaw in the voting system was probably my first real opinion about anything political. And now, here I am, getting ready to make a full blown political commentary about Bush's State of the Union address (I know, you're all still waiting on the edges of your seat for that...) because I actually wanted to watch it. I actually felt the need to sit down on a Monday night and watch the President speak. That is how far I have come.

So, I mentioned my high school American Government class (Senior year). Like I said, it was mostly just a history lesson about the Constitution and how the Gov't works. We did, however, take one of those Political Affiliation tests. That one said that I was a Republican, which even now doesn't surprise me because, well, I had met my parents before. If you've met my parents, you'll understand. As I had made it a point not to discuss politics, my only choice for answering the questions was to mirror what was already familiar to me. But even then I knew that couldn't be true because I did not agree with the Republican stance on homosexuals and gay marriage.

Anyhow. I mention this "test" and its results because I have taken two other political affiliation tests in the last week. The first was for my Political Ideologies class, and the second was one that Julia sent me. The first test gave two opposite statements at a time(such as "Allowing homosexuals to get married would undermine the institution of marriage" and "Homosexuals should be allowed to get married just like everyone else") and asked me to indicate which statement I "Agree" or "Strongly Agree" with. This test told me that I am a Liberal.

The second test was a series of Yes, No, Maybe/Don't Care questions like "Is the Gov't spending too much money on national defense?" This test told me that I am a Democrat. So there you have it, folks. I am officially a Liberal Democrat. Let the rejoicing or screaming in terror commence.


Okay, enough rejoicing and screaming. Some may be surprised by these results, but I'm not. Maybe a little by the Liberal part, but not really. I mean, we can go ahead and rule out Republican right now due to the fact that I don't believe it's okay for a religious majority should be allowed to make the rules for everyone. I don't believe that it's okay for one religious group to create laws out of their morals and values, even though I may practice said morals and values personally.


You see, I am what some would call a relativist (which is a term that I have just recently become aware of even though I have been one for a while). Relativism is a term used to describe the attitude of what's right for me isn't necessarily right for you. My mom, who is one of a very dogmatic persuasion (and I use "dogmatic" definition: the belief that we have already arrived at the Truth, so no further claims or evidence need be entertained), would say that truth is truth no matter what. But I just can't bring myself to believe that, and I'll tell you why:

If you look at the world as a whole, you will see that every single culture has come up with their own way of living. No one culture does things the exact same way. This includes things like politics and religion. Every single religion and political group claims to be the right one, and that every single other one is wrong. This, of course, just can't be possible. No one can prove that one religion or one political affiliation is better than another because it mostly boils down to a personal opinion. So, this, to me, means that truth must be internalized. Hence, what is true for me is not necessarily true for you.

Now, for all of you purists out there who think that this is a very naive way of looking at things, let me clarify. There are some things that are universally true. Gravity, the Earth is round, the planets revolve around the sun, etc. etc. Those things (and other similar concepts) have been indisputably proven. I am saying that there is not concrete, set in stone, physical evidence that any one religion or political theory is THE correct one. Nor will there ever be such evidence. When it comes down to religion, the universal concept is faith. When it comes down to politics, the universal concept is opinion. Faith that your particular religion is the right one, and political opinion about how things should be done.

Nevertheless, I try valiantly to respect everyone else’s opinions. If you believe that one thing is true beyond a doubt, I respect that, and I'm not going to try to convince you otherwise. If your beliefs and opinions make you happy, then I am happy with you. Who am I to make you think the way that I do? However, if you think that your beliefs make you a better person than I am, of if you think that your beliefs give you the right to tell me how to live my life, then you've got another thing coming. As one of my favorite Bushisms goes, "I'm the decider" when it comes to my own life, and you get to be the decider for your life.

So anyhow. That's the Political Me in a nutshell. I am a Liberal Democratic Relativist that believes in "live and let live" and the "Golden Rule" when it comes to sharing and expressing my opinions.