Declaration of Xander

It occurs to me that, although I have been writing on this blog for quite awhile now, I have never really been explicit in stating what I believe in, politically speaking. I know my profile labels me a liberal, but that's such a loose description that it barely means anything at all. Therefore, I have decided to write the following in the hopes that it will put everything I have written and will write in the future in some sort of context.

America: It's a great country, and the place in this world I would prefer to live... but it's not perfect. It isn't always right. In fact, saying the opposite of that is about as un-patriotic as you can be. Here is the truth: if we really love this country, we'll point out its mistakes, question its questionable maneuvers, and hold our leaders accountable, regardless of whether or not they are ideologically similar to ourselves.

Bigotry: Hey, folks... bigotry is bigotry! If you have ill feelings towards any gender, sexual orientation, race, or religious group, it counts as hatred. But as heinous as the stereotypes, epithets, et cetera are themselves, double standards are even worse. It is just as bad, for example, for a woman to say, "Men are scum" as it is for a man to say, "Women are for cooking and reproducing." Anyone who complains about the way women or people of color have historically been treated cannot really believe in treating anyone else the same way, which brings us (in a roundabout way) to my next paragraph:

Retaliation: Revenge has been the subject of some great entertainment in the past. It has ranged from the divine (in The Odyssey) to the big-budget (in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan) to the obnoxious (political mud-slinging contests). I generally take an official stance against the concept of vengeance because I believe that fate will almost always find a way to smooth everything out... who are we as human beings to stand in the way of that?

War: We Are never Right. My idea of a perfect world is a world where people don't need to fight to solve their problems. I mean, when we're kids on the playground, we are taught by every adult in sight that grown-ups don't solve their problems with violence and anger, but then how do we see the grown-ups out in the world doing it? All that being said, I realize that we do not, in fact, live in my perfect world. We live in a world where action does not follow thought, but rather vice versa. When war is deemed necessary by those in power, it must be handled as humanely as possible and not be allowed to escalate into global conflict. The few wars that have been completely morally indefencible (like Vietnam and the current, dreadfully mismanaged and misleadingly titled "war on terrorism") just prove my belief that, as nice as that perfect world is, I doubt anyone I know will ever get to see it. I support and love my country, but I can never in good conscience serve in the military: most of the branches make their name doing what I find morally objectionable, and since I hate water, a Coast Guard career is out of the question for me. Don't get me wrong, our men and women in uniform are heroes of the finest kind-- I just wish they didn't have to become heroic the way they do.

Animal Rights: I am not and could never be a vegetarian. Furthermore, I believe that it is perfectly natural for animals (like us) to eat other animals. But animals' objections cannot overpower our voice and strength, so we have a responsibility to treat them with as much respect as we possibly can. Animals killed for food must be treated with dignity, and no animal should ever be killed unless it will end up in someone's stomach (or, you know, unless the death is a humane medical service-- don't shoot the horse just because it's lame, but there is a line to cross).

Gay Rights: Who in their right mind chooses to be part of a minority that is spit upon, disregarded, and generally kicked into the gutter of society? Oh, sure, tolerance for the GLBT population is at an all-time high, but it's still a far cry from where it needs to be. The first big step in the right direction would be to repeal the obscene "Defense of Marriage Act." Our country is built on the principle of "majority rule" and "minority rights." Which means that even if it's not popular in the polls, the minority has a RIGHT to the same basic freedoms everyone else enjoys. And, in my mind, the idea that gays and lesbians can't make good parents is disgusting. The counter-thought here is that "men and women each bring something unique to the child-rearing process." If that's true, it has to follow that every individual brings something unique to the child-rearing process. Some women are unfit to have kids; some men are unfit to have kids. And not every gay man or woman would make a great parent, but those that would deserve a chance.

Separation of Church and State: Remember that phrase? It's been kind of kicked into the dirt all throughout American history. To my mind, it could not get any simpler: the church and the state remain separate. No one religion deserves to wield disproportionate power against any other, even if it is the one the majority practices. Let children pray at home and in their church or mosque or synagogue or insert-other-place-of-worship; that's where it belongs. Not allowing prayer at school is not an attempt to strip morality from public education-- but when you allow prayer at school, it becomes Sunday school. Also, the word "God" should be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance, but only because it was added after the pledge was written and had been in practice for a time. That smells like bait to a controversy to me.

Sex versus Violence: A thousand corpses in a movie get it a PG-13 rating... but one sex scene warrants an R? I don't think so... unless we really want to teach our youth that it's okay to kill someone, but not to show someone you love them.

Sex Education: I think the proof is out there that abstinence-only Sex Ed doesn't work, you just have to look for it (that includes you, Grandma Palin).

And Finally:
The Super Bowl: For crying out loud, people, it's just a fracking football game! Get over it already!!!!!!!!!!!!