big change

i was thinking about an acquaintance of mine who in many ways i detest. i like him though, too. he is the type of person who when conversations turn political he immediately chimes in with what i will call the right wing mantra. it is almost comical how quickly, easily and innocently, (really,) he will state his case.

"lower taxes on the super wealthy is the only way to stimulate the economy."

"we have to invest in military defense funding or someone will come kick our ass."

"the war on drugs is necessary to maintain the moral fiber of our country."

that is the kind of crap this acquaintance will spew at the slightest provocation. it is at once maddening and endearing.

i was him once, too. i was a young republican. i was a conservative christian. i was a zealot of the first order in as much as i considered evangelizing my highest priority. politically, i voted for reagan and considered him the very best of governors. this is why i want to see where this acquaintance is in 10 years.

will he still be republican?

i could not be more diametrically opposite today from who i was back then in terms of values and political views. in those days i hated sin and cared mostly about the souls of men for eternity. today i care about people, large and small, far and wide, and their lives here in earth, (which is to say the conditions in which they live and their overall quality of life.) in those days if a politician professed his belief in jesus and pursued policies that seemed decent and righteous, i supported him. today if a politician fights for the people and takes positions that would lift the quality of life for the masses, i am for him.

when i was a young man i would speak to a liberal from time to time and there were times when i thought i discerned a certain smugness. today it seems like that smugness was really just how someone comes across when they are right. in any case i argued. i always felt like right was on my side, god's side. i had very little doubt, (until when my doubt grew.)

so i can't help but wonder if the day will come when this acquaintance too, will wake from his slumber and discover the truth. as it is he seems to hold his views out of altruism, which is to say he is a true believer. (i have no indication he is christian or in any way religious.) he believes tax cuts for the rich help america and all of her people. he believes labor unions are passe and corporations can be trusted to check themselves. he believes a number of ridiculous things that any sincere study should help one overcome but of course, too often what happens with most people is we become ideologues and we do not rise to the challenge of embracing change, real change, the kind of change that forces us to admit, "damn, yesterday i was something of an idiot." in fact if i get any credit in life thus far it is probably for this one thing. it was not easy and it certainly was not overnight. i resisted. but in time i changed completely. from zealot to agnostic, republican to progressive liberal, (ahh the labels sometimes just fail,) certain to uncertain, uninterested in real introspection, capable of it if still lazy too often, and the list goes on and on.

my acquaintance is a young man. he seems to be the kind of fellow who embraces the community of life, which is to say he enjoys the social nature of human beings. i was always like that. i wonder if that is what helped me move beyond the things of my youth and if in turn it will help my friend to embrace some change as it were.