People like to reduce our social relations down to who is leftist, or liberal, and who is on the right, or conservative. I wonder what label we have for those poor lonely souls in the center. The use of such labels, from clothing brand names to political orientation, have become an easy way to categorize people but does little to address the real issues and concerns of society.
Liberals and conservatives seems to be the constant backdrop of much of our dialogue, which after awhile sounds like we're talking about a basketball game, Liberal Lefties versus the Conservative Righties. It might be all fun and games for many people, or a sign of political maturity for others, but these labels become a serious burden to society when so-called presidential debates amount to an embarrassing contest between parties. While we hide behind and fancy our labels, millions of people do not have access to health care, the public education deteriorates and we once again blanket the earth with another wave of wars.
While reading "Horowitz attacks leftists" earlier this week in the Daily Lobo, I wondered what we really mean when we say we are liberal or conservative, or any combination out there. When we say we are conservative, what are we trying to conserve? From the ideas of David Horowitz and others, it seems that what they are trying to conserve are the policies and practices that encourage the economic and racial exploitation of certain communities of our society.
If what we want to conserve is democracy and equal rights for all people, then why would we not want to address and correct the legacies of slavery, which is what the reparations movement is about, just like the campaign against Jim Crow laws was in the south.
On a historical note, slavery was found in some parts of Africa as well as the rest of the world, but the transcontinental system of chattel slavery and cultural destruction at the heart of European colonial expansion was something this earth has never seen and will never see again. To belittle the social and cultural impact that colonization had on Africa, or on any other continent for that matter, by saying that "they were doing it to themselves already," is an expression from someone who refuses to embrace and learn from the diverse faces and stories of humanity.
When we say we are liberal what are we liberal about? Are we liberal because we are more tolerant of other cultures, because we listen just a couple more seconds to different perspectives compared to let's say, conservatives? I wonder where we are getting with these words, while public schools can not afford to fix their leaking roofs or bus their children to and from schools. These labels are insignificant when faced with the myriad issues in society.
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I am fascinated when conservatives like David Horowitz talk about the hostile environments on college campuses blaming so-called leftists for making people "scared to come out and endorse viewpoints like this." He talked about the national hate campaign that he faced when he criticized reparations as an example of this hostility. Maybe he received some harsh words and constructive criticisms that he would label as hate mail, but the fact that a large portion of society will not tolerate racist mentality anymore than it already has and speak up against it is a sign that we have learned from our monumental mistakes and are starting to correct injustices. If what Mr. Horowitz received for his arrogant comments was just a stack of hate mail, then he should try to put himself in the shoes of Mumia Abu Jamal or Leonard Peltier, whose outspoken consciousness and diligence to better our community have led to a life in prison.
In case you are wondering what political label I choose to describe myself, it would have to be someone who is "down to earth." Those I consider down to earth are those that dedicate themselves to building a community of consciousness that embraces everyone's stories.
by Maceo Carrillo Martinet
Daily Lobo Columnist
Questions or comments can be sent to Maceo Carrillo Martinet at conuco8@unm.edu.
