I'm a Republican.
Well...I'm a fairly liberal Republican (no, that's not an oxymoron).
Okay, maybe I'm more of a moderate than a Republican.
Why I, along with many others, feel the need to define myself politically is currently beyond me. In the wake of our historic election, not only am I a bit deflated (it feels like the day after Christmas) from the absence of election coverage, but I'm also wondering why we so zealously align ourselves along party lines. My ponderance is really rhetorical because I know that in our governmental system, we have to make choices and those choices typically place us on one side or the other. But when someone asks me who I voted for, or what party I identify as my own, I feel like someone's asking me what my favorite Metallica album is. If I answer honestly and say its the Black Album, then of course I'm labeled as a poser because that's EVERYone's favorite ('everyone' here meaning those not-die-hard Metallica fans). Should I claim that Master of Puppets or Ride the Lightning is my favorite? It's such a defining question! What will people think of me?! What do I think of me!?
As a student and instructor in academia, I often received sympathetic or disgusted looks when I admitted my Republican leanings. Scrambling to clarify, I'd say that growing up in a military family leads to certain opinions about spending on defense. I'd say that local government is better for the people. I'd say a lot of things. Invariably I'd be asked about abortion. Answering that I am and always have been pro-choice, the question would then become gay rights. Well, the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy is a crock (this coming from a military brat), and I can't fathom how people can claim that a ban on gay marriage or gay adoption does not have some correlation to religion. Two people who love one another have the right to marry and live the American dream, including having children and contributing to the community. Well, what about...? The questions would continue until people were either frustrated enough to stop asking, or tired enough to move on to a new topic.
So why is it that we place so much importance on the big question: Republican or Democrat? Because, like the Metallica question, it IS a defining part of us as individuals. It's an identifier, a mark of commitment or connection. You're either with us or against us. Maybe it's the binary that I have had such trouble with...can't I be a Republican with certain Democratic leanings, or vice versa?
As a feminist who came to consciousness a bit late in life (mid-twenties), I've seen my political tendencies bend and twist. Acknowledging the privilege of growing up as a white, middle class woman has aided in my feminist journey and helped me see the the power of white, male patriarchy. Living in a town full of cultural diversity and influence, and teaching at a diverse university, my view on life, politics, and certainly education have undergone a metamorphosis. That change has been a gradual process, one that will likely (hopefully) not end.
So, I keep coming back to my initial question, one that I've been thinking about intensely since the election, if not before:
What's a Good Republican Girl (Woman) to do?
The answer - she admits that she's a Democrat.
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Welcome to the tent.
Welcome to the fight. This time I know our side will win.
Loved the last line, it made me smile! I agree that it's very hard to pigeonhole yourself into Republican or Democrat (or into any category, really) and often there is really no need to. You believe what you believe. It will never match up exactly with your party. I just make my choice and hope I won't regret it for the next four years!*
*Although I have to say I am well pleased this year and don't foresee any serious regrets :)
Excellent post!
very interesting. i will say...it's a shame how often we fail to separate conservative from republican and liberal from democrat. plus george bush wasn't just a horrible republican, he was a horrible conservative dick-bag good for nothing excuse for a politician...as are his cronies. as a democrat i've never felt george bush and co to be representative of republicans. ted kennedy isn't my idea of a democrat; he's a bad, embarrassing apple in the bunch and like wise, although bush and co ended up with a lot more power to abuse than kennedy, bush and co are bad apples to cheated their way to the top of the pile.
real republicans, who can be conservative or liberal, are people with well thought-out views based on their own experiences.
this election has me worried for democrats in that we very clearly view republicans as 'wrong' when in truth, a real, solid republican, as you seemed to have been, are normal americans simply with differing views.
as a feminist i feel like so much of our struggle is in social issues, that if we had to assign right and wrong it would be the conservative and liberal labels, not republican and democrat ones.
Welcome.
This is why I keep saying that the Republican party has got to lose the religious right. They're driving away the only sensible people they've got.