Proud Liberal

What would America be like without the liberal advances of the past sixty or seventy years? 

Without the extraordinary contribution of liberals — from the mightiest presidents to the most unheralded protesters and organizers — the United States would be a much, much worse place than it is today.

Civil rights? Women’s rights? Liberals went to the mat for them time and again against ugly, vicious and sometimes murderous opposition. They should be forever proud.

The liberals gave us Social Security and unemployment insurance, both of which were contained in the original Social Security Act. Most conservatives despised the very idea of this assistance to struggling Americans. Republicans hated Social Security, but most were afraid to give full throat to their opposition in public at the height of the Depression.

Liberals gave us Medicare and Medicaid. Quick, how many of you (or your loved ones) are benefiting mightily from these programs, even as we speak. It's telling that Republicans are proud of Ronald Reagan, who saw Medicare as "the advance wave of socialism," while they actively and forcefully demand the benefits of it.

Delusional and hypocritical.

Without the many great and noble deeds of liberals over the past six or seven decades, America would hardly be recognizable to today’s young people. Liberals (including liberal Republicans, who have since been mostly drummed out of the party) ended legalized racial segregation and gender discrimination.

Liberals gave this country Head Start and legal services and the food stamp program. They fought for cleaner air and cleaner water.

Liberals. Your food is safer because of them, and so are your children’s clothing and toys. Your workplace is safer. Your ability (or that of your children or grandchildren) to go to college is manifestly easier.

It would take volumes to adequately cover the enhancements to the quality of American lives and the greatness of American society that have been wrought by people whose politics were unabashedly liberal. 

It is a track record that deserves to be celebrated.

Betrayal of Principles

At the end of World War II, 1200 heavy bombers flew over the vicinity of Royan in western France and dropped napalm, killing German soldiers and thousands of French civilians, destroying what was once a beautiful little resort town. This was April, 1945, and the German soldiers were stranded, left behind, waiting for the war to end.

During the Korean War, a surprise U.S. air attack on east Wolmi island on Sept. 10, 1950, killed 100 or more South Korean civilians. In clear weather from low altitude, U.S. forces napalmed numerous small buildings, strafed children, women and old people in the open area.

In November, 2005, U.S. Marines shot 24 Iraqi civilians, killing men, women and children at close range. Aws Fahmi, a Haditha resident who said he watched and listened from his home as Marines went from house to house killing members of three families, recalled hearing his neighbor across the street, Younis Salim Khafif, plead in English for his life and the lives of his family members. "I heard Younis speaking to the Americans, saying: 'I am a friend. I am good,'" Fahmi said. "But they killed him, and his wife and daughters."

In war, there is nothing noble. In war, there are only betrayals of the principles for which the war was supposed to have been fought. I don't want to honor military heroism -- that conceals too much death and suffering. I want to honor those who have opposed the horror of war.

Buddhists believe that all life is precious. "No killing" is the First Precept. For those who have, with intent and foresight, harmed or caused harm, their future is determined by the law of Karma. There is no exception.

However, Buddhists don't believe in passivity. We believe we should do something about the conflicts in the world. But we should not do war. Because war makes things worse than they were before. War has consequences which you cannot predict.

What we can do is change from a military superpower to a humanitarian superpower. We are enormously wealthy. Let's use that wealth to help change social and economic conditions around the world. Is this less of a goal than is war?

A Sermon for Today

To many Christians, the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew, chapters 5, 6, 7) contains the central tenets of Christian discipleship.

Here are some excerpts which are important even to me, a Buddhist:

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven...Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment...But whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also... Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you...Judge not, that ye be not judged.

As a Buddhist, I cannot understand how too many tolerate or encourage war, oppression, and dominance when their Lord had a different view. These people aren't a fringe; I see examples each day in my commute, at work, or at family gatherings. Sometimes I'm shocked and frequently disheartened when I hear Christians spread fear, hatred and war. They were taught differently.

Fortunately, I have found, subscribe to and am enlightened by Sojourners, a Christian organization committed to social justice. We are all human and fallible, but these folks practice the great teachings of their Lord Jesus.