Land of the Spotted Eagle

“True civilization lies in the dominance of self, and not in the dominance of others. And the person who is rising to a higher estate is the person who is putting into their being the essence of humanism.”
Luther Standing Bear; Land of the Spotted Eagle; 1933.



Skinner posted an OP about “some hard feelings surrounding (the) discussion of LGBT issues here” on the Democratic Underground. The resulting thread had over 1700 responses and 160 “recommendations,” a clear indication that it is an important issue. The lack of deleted posts on a thread that long suggests that forum members can – at least if they believe an authority figure capable of exercising a form of discipline – carry on discussions and debate in a civilized manner.

There are a couple other issues that are frequently the source of divisive debate here. One is, for lack of better term, “racism.” Another is sexism. At various times, such as the 2008 primary season, shades of these issues were found in numerous OP/threads. Discussions regarding the issues of “domestic violence” likewise can turn ugly, quickly.

My focus in writing this is not to discuss any one of these topics in particular. Nor to exclude any of them. Rather, I'd like to concentrate on the positive potential that rational, if heated, discussion/debate holds, versus the negative potential that is far too often found in a variety of OP/threads. I'll even try to avoid discussion of “the good 'ole days,” because we can't change any previous debate – though we can definitely increase the value of what we do here now.

In my opinion, the best thing that members of the Democratic Left can be doing now is community organizing. The goal has to be working towards “home rule.” While it isn't going to be possible for members of the Democratic Left to “take over” every neighborhood, village, town, or city, it is possible to start working towards electing decent people to local positions. This isn't going to result in immediate or massive change, but it is much better goal than trying to elect a good person to the House of Representatives, Senate, and/or White House. We need to build a more solid foundation first.

The only way to be effective on the local level, generally speaking, is by building coalitions with other groups and individuals with similar values. One of the most obvious thing that we tend to have in common with other interest groups and individuals may be a common enemy. That enemy has many faces: the corporations, the republicans, the Tea Party, and those with authoritarian personality disorders.

Those groups that by nature should recognize these interests as their enemies include, but are not limited to: environmentalists; people of color; those advocating equality between the sexes; LGBT advocates; unions; teachers; college students; the poor; and those belonging to the Green Party, socialists, and more. We can add to that intelligent, informed people who are concerned by the erosion of Constitutional rights (as opposed to the uniformed Tea Party members).

Two things are apparent: first, a person can belong to two or more of these groups; and second, there are going to be differences between group/individual short-term goals. Thus, while we all are working for the long-term goal of equality and social justice, some groups/individuals may disagree on the best avenues for reaching this goal. This is a good thing, for if all individuals and groups thought exactly alike, the movement would soon stagnate

However, what is essential is that no group/individual believe that either their way is the only right way, or that their rights are greater than other groups'. A historic example might be of value here. In American history, African American and Native American peoples faced both similar and different dynamics. Both were considered “less than fully human” by white society. Blacks were viewed as domestic animals, and harshly discouraged from trying to enter white society; Indians were considered to be wild animals, yet harshly forced to take up white society's ways. Hence, during the 1960s and '70s, during the Civil Rights movement, each group had somewhat different goals, and approaches to reaching those goals. Yet both groups were struggling for Human Rights.

LGBT rights are the Human Rights struggle of this era. Rights such as protection from hate crimes; marriage; employment; and the right to openly serve in the military, as just as important, both legally and morally, as those same rights for any other group. There were times when the law did not allow black people to marry white people; there were states where a white man who raped an Indian woman could not be charged with even a misdemeanor. Those examples seem hideous today. It's not enough to say that “some day,” the legal restrictions on the LGBT community will seem a vile memory. They are vile and hideous today.

A healthy coalition should operate along the lines of the Iroquois Confederacy (definitely not that other confederacy). Equal does not mean exact. Equality among individuals does not translate into everyone being exactly the same. But it does mean the same rights, responsibilities, protections, and freedoms.

As the groups and individuals within the Democratic Left get closer to that level, then and only then will we find ourselves getting closer to the point where we can exercise real political-social power. Then and only then will we have reached a point where we will have elected enough good people to office on the grass roots level, that politicians at the state and national level will take an interest in what we have to say. They might not like it, or agree with us. But they'll respect our base of power.

Then and only then will be be in a position to really talk shop with our moderate-to-conservative democratic friends. Too often, the Democratic Left is treated as a “less equal” member of the democratic family system. We are not respected as an equal member of the broad based coalition that makes up the Democratic Party. We're told that we are unrealistic about the president's ability to end a war, or congress's ability to pass a law to benefit anyone but the rich.

If the moderate-to-conservative democrats will work with republicans because they exercise power, they'll work with us when we begin to exercise real power. So long as we fail to organize at the grass roots level, though, the moderate-to-conservative democrats will dismiss us as “fringe,” and spend more time with republicans. Let's take that option off the board.

It is always important to remember that it is easier to make your neighborhood a better place than to change the world and that the world is made of many neighborhoods.