A Rose by any Other Name

I’m making a resolution today. I am no longer going to tie myself down with a political label. Usually when people ask me where I stand politically, I like to say that I am a liberal democrat. This makes things easy because I don’t have to go into detail about what I believe, they can figure it out with just those two words. I do the same thing when I find out somebody considers themselves a conservative republican, I can just assume what their beliefs are and go from there.

You know what though? I am tired of that sort of nonsense in my life. From now on when people ask me about where I stand politically, I am not going to assign myself to a specific party or mindset. In really thinking about it, I find that I am liberal in some ways and conservative in others, yet I recognize that there is always an opportunity to develop or change those viewpoints. Right now I hate a lot of the things the Republican Party is doing and I do enjoy making fun of them, but that doesn’t mean that the Democratic Party or any other party is not just as dirty.

I believe that when one assigns themselves to these labels, it can lead to a narrow-minded view and an inability to think about other perspectives. I see many people I know cling to their views so tightly that they fail to see the opportunity for learning and logical debate. There is so much to learn in life and stubbornly believing in a certain ideology is just boring.  An open mind is the key to personal growth while a closed mind sits like a seed that never sprouts.

I am tired of taking the easy way out with my political views and I hope you feel the same way. Sure I have very strong opinions on certain issues, but with new information these convictions can weaken and change. I want to believe in what I think is right for the world, but be ready to accept that I may be wrong. That seems to be the problem with politics, some people just don’t look at things logically and desperately cling to their beliefs, however weak they may be in the face of mounting evidence. I am ready to accept when I am wrong and ready to strengthen my resolve when I evidence shows that I am right.

As a person who appreciates open-minded thinking and a young adult looking towards a career in journalism, I want to make sure to take a balanced approach to politics. This is something that I not only think is important for myself, but for the future of politics.