Becoming a Liberal

So, politics can sometimes be a touchy subject. However, this subject is one of importance to me. My interests are largely based on how power structures impact people - hence the reason I am studying Political Anthropology. So, I figured it's time to let this cat out of the bag. I am not a Republican, and I am not a Democrat. I don't fully support either side, not a big party person. But if I had to default to one, it would be Democrat because I am definitely more of a liberal. This may not be stunning to some, but I know it had shocked and bothered many people I know and love. So while my loved ones are coming to know that I am a liberal, they do not understand why.

Growing up LDS in Utah where most people are Republicans and definitely swing to the right, I did, too. I would even say the Utah LDS culture ties a certain level of morality to which party one supports.
*Notice I say culture, not individual people or the religion.
I think my family may have even wondered if I've gone off the deep end. However, the LDS church does not support one party. A member is allowed to affiliate with any party. For me liberalism fits more closely to what I believe and what my church teaches.
*Notice the emphasis on "for me" - meaning it is absolutely okay if conservatism fits more closely with what your belief and religion (including the LDS church)  may be.

Let me finally explain how.
As I have mentioned before people are my passion. I have many flaws - oh, so many - but one of my strengths is compassion. When I learn of someone's circumstances I can't help but try to think how this may be affecting that person internally. I feel pain and sorrow for that person. In my education I have been given soo many wonderful opportunities to learn about various types of people. I have learned about people all over the world and right here in our backyard. I have studied often about power distribution, marginality, and many other forms of oppression. I have taken classes in the political sciences learning about political structures here in the United States and in various countries around the world. The awesome opportunity I have with my schooling is to study and see the functioning of these political structures in my classes in political science and then I get to see how these political structures impact groups of people through my classes in anthropology. I cannot tell you how much I love this. Learning about these topics burns a fire in me that will not shut off. As I have come to learn about the impact of politics on various groups of people I have compassion. It compels me to do something, to make a change. There are so many pains and hardships that people experience around the world that are completely unnecessary. Now I am not saying people should not experience trials, because I don't believe that. Trials are a way of growth and strength. However, there are some things that are caused by men (and women;) ) that need not be.

To many of my friends politics means a certain attitude about abortion or homosexuality, and that's fine. If those topics are important to you, then by all means fight for it. I am a big believer in fighting for things you believe in even if they are different than my own. Passion is good. Change is good. Stagnation and apathy - not so good. So go ahead, believe differently than me. I respect and appreciate that. When I discuss things with people who have different beliefs than I do I love it. It makes me reassess what I believe and gives me a different perspective. Hopefully I have made it clear that I am not bashing any one set of beliefs.

Anyhow, so while those topics may be of importance to those I interact with and I do have opinions on them, they are not nearly as important to me. (Go ahead - gasp now). My passion is for helping eliminate oppression.
I am thoroughly interested in social movements. They aren't currently very powerful in my own country, but I have seen the incredible changes social movements have made in other countries and it inspires me. Social movements are more associated with the left.
I am a supporter of social programs though I do agree there needs to be a change in the U.S.'s current social programs. The phrase "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" makes me want to scream!!! As I have seen structural and cultural forces that make this bootstrap ideal a near impossibility, I realize something needs to change in that department.  Understanding how politics, racism, ageism, classism, mental illness, psychology, power, and wealth affect people, it is not as simple as it seems. The more I dive into these issues in my education the more complex it all really is.
I don't like when the wealthy (who - for many- have made their money with the use of the poor and middle as their employees) have to pay so little for taxes while the middle class has to pay so much. When the CEO of a mega corporation can make hundreds of millions while their full time employee can't even support their family without government aid, there is something wrong. For this I am a liberal, too. There are many more reasons, but here are the few. Ask me questions if you want. I'm not ashamed of what I feel. And I claim no expertise or permanence in my opinions. I consider myself fairly open minded and am willing to learn from other people as long as it is done in a respectful, non-bashing way. :)

How it ties in religiously for me... I love Christ's example. He spent His time with the meek and downtrodden. He spent his time with the physically and mentally ill. He taught like no one else could or has before how to love, to have charity. One scripture I really love is about a people called the city of Enoch. They lived in what many would call a Utopian society. People loved and cared for one another. I would love to see a society more like their's. And as pie in the sky as it sounds, my dream is to help this world get a little closer to this way of being. Moses 7:18 ":And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them." Wouldn't it be incredible if we could all be more unified like that? It may never happen, but I figure I want to go out of this world trying. This one is good, too: 4 Nephi 1:2-3 "...and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another. And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift." Yes!! All were made free! I love that.

So there it is. There is just the tip of the iceberg as to why I consider myself a liberal. I hope you can accept it even if it means I may be different from you as my reader. Anyway if we were all the same life would be as boring as nails, wouldn't it?

If you are interested my cousin shared this article that I totally felt I could relate to.
http://www.salon.com/2012/09/10/why_i_left_the_gop/