My bio on the right says a bit about where I grew up and what I've studied. It says nothing at all about why I'd join this Whyroots adventure. Here are a few of my reasons:
1. There are a lot of crazies in these here nets, and they hog a lot of bandwidth and eyeballs. I am not that crazy, and I think my fellow Whyrooters are even less crazy than I. At the same time, I think we can write some things worth reading.
2. The progressive movement, whatever that is, is not much more than the sum of its parts. I have been passionate about progressive causes for as long as I have been thinking deeply about what constitutes right and wrong. I'd like to contribute to the movement and be part of the equation.
3. I think ideas are deeply important to any movement. Organizing is important, volunteering is important, effectiveness is required -- but all that doesn't mean much if it's not directed towards worthwhile ends in efficient ways.
Now, here are a few things I'll be reminding myself as we move forward:
1. I am not at all representative of most people in the world. I am instead a well-educated, upper-middle class professional. That point of view has many advantages, but I don't have a lived experience of poverty, powerlessness or disenfranchisement. Whenever I discuss these issues, I will necessarily be discussing them at a step removed.
2. I am not right all of the time. The people I tend to argue with are not wrong all of the time. No ideology has a sole claim on truth or the good, and there is a profound blessing in synthesis and compromise.
3. Writing on this blog will not: save any babies, end world hunger, prevent the destruction of natural resources, or cure AIDS. All the good that I will ever be able to claim credit for will happen someday; they are not happening as I write these words.
Okay! Let's get to it.
RSS Feed