I am writing this blog post in response to the many questions people keep asking me about how I have come to see the world the way I do. I try to keep my personal viewpoints to myself when I am around certain family members and most coworkers. I express myself online, but I do not always feel safe to otherwise. Being a non-religious liberal in my neck of the woods can be dangerous, so I try to blend in. I've been camouflaging myself for the majority of my life. My parents started this for me when I was 10, by instructing me: "Don't tell anyone at school about the Hepatitis C."
Okay, I thought, I have to keep a secret about myself because the other kids won't understand.That was the beginning. From that point on, I exerted a lot of effort trying to fit in with my classmates. The worst thing ever would be to stand out or to be made fun of or embarrassed. (By the way, I was treated and "cured" of HCV a few years ago.)
I was raised in a household with conservative values (although my parents were both registered Independents): I was expected to get good grades in school, go to Sunday school and church, do chores on Saturdays, etc. I got my butt spanked for misbehaving right up to age 13. I was taught how to cook, and I cooked dinner for my family a few times a week from age 13 on. I got my first job and my first car at age 16, my first boyfriend at age 17, and I earned my high school diploma on time. I never did drugs, I never skipped school, I did not get pregnant as a teen, and I did not even taste alcohol until I was out of high school. All of this paints a pretty boring picture of a young, white, REPRESSED girl.
So how did I go from that girl to the woman I am today? Add to the picture these facts: I have always been a voracious reader; I have always been very open-minded and accepting of other types of people; I am quick to put myself in other people's shoes; I use reason and logic to solve problems, but I also listen to my heart; and I have struggled with many different and difficult issues while watching others struggle, too. The major catalyst, of course, was moving out of my parent's house at age 20.
There were a few of major life changes right away: I dropped out of college, moved to a city over 100 miles away for a man I'd only known for 2 months, and marrying that man. These hasty, ill-advised, and mind-boggling decisions shoved me on a path that I'm still struggling with. I have been living paycheck to paycheck for 16 years. I have lived with debilitating physical and mental problems my entire life, for which I have been discriminated against often. I haven't always been able to afford medicine or food. I have witnessed the struggles of many friends and coworkers over my life. I've met all kinds of people with all kinds of personalities, etc. I've been a sounding board and supporter of people dealing with serious issues, including sexual orientation, gender identity, varied medical problems, child custody battles, abusive marriages, sexual violence, and others. I'm an empathetic person, so I can really put myself in their shoes and feel what they're feeling.
Labels are just society's way of trying to fit everything and everyone into neat little boxes. When pressed, I will identify as a liberal politically, working poor class-wise, and free-thinking when it comes to religion. I look at different issues, and weigh all the facts with my own life experiences and knowledge I have gained from reading and listening to make decisions. I don't believe in straight-party voting, because every candidate is different- and they may not fit their label.
So let's talk food stamps. I know several families who would have gone without food if they didn't have food stamps. I was on food stamps at one point in time for about a year. The VAST majority of food stamp recipients are not on drugs and they are not trying to game the system. They are good, hard-working people struggling to make ends meet in these times of wage inequality and gender bias. Another wonderful program is WIC. I was on WIC for about 5 years running, as long as they would have me. If not for WIC, I could not have consistently afforded formula, fruits, vegetables, cereal, milk, peanut butter, and bread for my kids. WIC also performs regular check-ups on all kids in the program, requires parents to take parenting classes, and rents out breast pumps for free.
I very firmly believe in social programs. Food stamps, WIC, Medicare, Medicaid, TANF, SSI, Pell grants, EIC, and many more are essential to the health and well-being of this country's citizens. If not for the child tax credit and Earned Income Credit, I could not have afforded to take my kids to the dentist or the ophthalmologist, replace broken household appliances and/or furniture, or catch up on bills.
Moving along . . .
To be expedient, I will quote wikipedia here, and then expand:
"Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on liberty and equality. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but they generally support civil rights, democracy, secularism, gender equality, racial equality, internationalism, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, and free markets."
I believe in sharing the wealth. There is no need for billionaires to even exist: I read an article about how making more than $75,000 a year does not increase happiness, but even beyond that is the fact that you get what you pay for. If a company does not pay employees a living wage, the result is that the employees' work will be substandard due to low morale (people feeling unappreciated) and fatigue (from working multiple jobs). A living wage generally means that a person working 40 hours a week, with no additional income, should be able to afford the basics for a modest but decent life, such as food, shelter, utilities, transport, health care, and child care. What is so wrong with that? Back in the 1950s, a man could work 40 hours a week and support a family of four. The wage gap has been steadily increasing ever since, and more people than ever are struggling just to live. In my own life, I have always done my best at my jobs, but I never felt happiness in a job until I was given benefits and a decent wage. I am more likely to stay at a job where I feel valued, and I AM NOT ALONE.
I should hope that the issues of "freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion" are self-explanatory. Geez. Basically, as Americans we can say what we want and believe what we want, and the press can publish what they want. We might not always agree with some of the things being said, believed, or published, but again, we are free to disagree. We are free to have a conversation, a debate, an intervention, or an opinion piece.
Live and let live.
LET ME LIVE.
So . . . gender equality and racial equality are liberal views? These should be across the board, and I will never understand the people against women being equal to men or all races being equal.
Abortion? I'm pro-choice and, more importantly, pro sex-ed.
Guns? They need to be better regulated. And don't get your panties in a wad, guns are FAR from ever being eradicated, and everyone knows it. Geez. Remember the Prohibition?
Religion? I'm open-minded. Whatever floats your boat. Freedom of and from religion. I had originally stopped right there, but people usually want me to expand . . . How did I come to be so happily and lazily agnostic? It's the usual yada yada former religious people say: I was raised Methodist, and started questioning the religion around age 12. I went through with confirmation and baptism at age 13, I read the entire bible twice, and I started working at DQ every Sunday when I was 16. These days I like telling people I don't believe in anything. It usually gets a reaction.
LGBTQ rights: Yes. Love is love.
The national anthem? It is unnecessary to sing/play this song at sporting events, unless the US is being represented internationally, like in the Olympics.
Overcrowded prisons and jails? Yes, especially in Oklahoma, this is a problem. Decriminalize lesser offenses, focus on rehabilitating non-violent offenders, use more halfway houses, etc.
Education? Just pay the teachers what they are worth. They deserve a major raise, country-wide, and better supplies for their classrooms, and up-to-date textbooks and technology. Oklahoma teachers (with college degrees!!) are moving to other states, and I have seen the effect this has had on my kids. Gone are the teachers who really care about the kids. Now they are all over-stressed with too-large class sizes and not enough school supplies. Not a good situation, and there is no end in sight.
I may have spent my entire life stuck in Oklahoma, but my mind has been everywhere, thanks to public libraries, which are taxpayer-funded.
