Perfect Day Network Media Group

Since when did it become acceptable to violate someone’s civil rights, discriminate, or commit a hate crime because of a person’s political affiliation and/or political beliefs? Lately, it has come to my attention that many people are blatantly doing just that.

I have seen upfront and personal and in the media, incidences where people are being attacked and beaten up; discriminated against in business, employment, and promotions; housing; or had their good name smeared simply because they have an authentic commitment to their own core value system and/or because of their political affiliation. When did we as a people become so intolerant of authenticity?

Living in West Los Angeles for 22 years, folks there - we CELEBRATED our differences. It’s one thing if you don’t agree with a person’s politics. For instance, I do not support communism or socialism as a political system here in the USA. It’s another thing to violate someone’s civil rights and be part of the ‘Herd behavior,’ where people are violent, or begin destroying lifes based on ideological clashes between opposing political views. Herd behavior is a scientifically proven, real phenomenon that under certain circumstances could have made Mahatma Gandhi shoot an old lady in the heat of the moment.

In 2007, a new friend and I were on a hike when she invited me to an elite gala event. Later on, I was uninvited when it became apparent to her that I did not share the same political views with a number of the guests who would be attending the event. Their views were extremely liberal, bordering on socialist. She said, “oh, my associates would disown me if they knew I had a friend like you with your beliefs.” Really? My reply was then she probably had a lot of superficial friends. The irony was that she did not even agree with a lot of the political views of these associates. But, she felt that she HAD to go along with the ‘group think’ in order to fit it.

In 2008, I decided to try something new. How about I just be authentic. How about I stop feeling ashamed about my core values because they don’t fit in with everyone else’s views. How about I demand that people stop violating my civil rights based on my political affiliation/beliefs. How about we start celebrating our differences, be open to new ideas and not just go along with the group think because it’s the politically correct thing to do. How about we invite in spirited debates and dialog about opposing views.

In a time where it has been documented that powerful forces outside of the U.S. are using our media and paying lobbyist to “divide and conquer” the American people in pursuit of their own investments and interests, we must remember that we are all AMERICANS first.

Footnote
Only five states consider “political affiliation” a protected class from discrimination/hate crimes, CA, DC, IA, LA, WV. Source http://www.adl.org/99hatecrime/state_hate_crime_laws.pdf

Keywords: Democrat, Republican, Green Party, Independent, Libertarian, Communist Party, Socialist Party, Going Rogue, GOP, Moveon Dot org, Glenn Beck, Michelle Malkin, Media Matters, SEIU, Moral Majority.