Given my fellow journalists' unsettling curiosity about all things Palin, this story about the Alaska Governor and some unpaid taxes seems a bit undercirculated. It seems the great "reformer" has been extra-mavericky when it comes to the taxes on "nearly $18,000 in expenses she charged the state for living in her home outside Anchorage instead of at the state capital..."
It will be interesting to see how the GOP spins the latest news about their down-to-earth darling, especially in light of their eagerness, of late, to pounce on the Geithners and Daschles of the world.
I don't bring this story up to tag Palin (while it appears she made a definite mistake, it's not of the magnitude we saw with some of the Cabinet nominees), nor do I mention it to let Daschle or Geithner off the hook (seriously, guys). In fact, I wish to make the opposite point. It's time to lift the partisan wool from over our eyes when we look at ethics violations and abuses of power.
Without fail, when a member of the majority party commits an error, the minority party is quick to label them the party of corruption. Dems do it when the Republicans are in power; the GOP is all too happy to reciprocate. Each group is happy to create a narrative utilizing their opponent's past five or so scandals to deem them inherently corrupt, failing to note that their own closet is manned by a skeleton crew.
Issues of ethics and power should not send us red-faced or blue-faced into our respective corners and, they should not send us scrambling to play a home version of the Shift-The-Blame Game (I think Parker Bros. has a patent pending). Instead, they should unite us around the causes of justice and transparency. If each of us have, in some small, partisan way, felt the sting of scandal, we should be all the more vigilant about rooting out scandal, no matter what capital letter sits next to a politician's name.
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
2.19.2009
1.28.2009
What's in a label?
As I revive and renew this badly-crippled, once left-for-dead blog, I have been struggling to find definition. Purpose. Direction. What am I doing here (on this site, not in a greater/more universal sense)? How could this one little corner of my existence best express a vision for life, justice, progress, spirituality?
Looking for guidance, I began to examine the labels which seem to suit me best. Theological conservative. Political progressive. Pop-culture enthusiast. I realized I couldn't point this blog exclusively in any of these directions as none of these labels ultimately define me. In fact, on an almost daily basis, a current event or hot-button issue exposes the points of tension between these labels, calling into question their very validity. What's in a label, anyway? Far too often, we label ourselves and others in an effort to set up clear-cut boundaries. Who's acceptable and who's not? Who's right and who's wrong? Who will I associate with and who will I cast aside?
My hope, then, for this blog is a casting off of labels or, at the very least, a refining of them. A chance to speak plainly and honestly. An opportunity to embrace the tension I see and submit that tension to the light shed by a greater Truth. The person of Truth. Because, ultimately, it is my hope to take any of the labels I could ever wear and make them subservient to the Gospel which has shaped and ultimately defined my life.
Part of me hopes that upon first reading, this blog will be too conservative for my progressive friends and too progressive for my conservative comrades. But, I hope to keep each side coming back so that, together, we can wrestle with greater questions and more expansive divides than liberal/conservative, etc. Those old debates are boring and lead us nowhere. Let's instead ask questions that get us closer to truer purposes and allow us to discuss models for moving forward.
One final thought...really, a promise to you, dear reader. This thing won't be quite as existential from here on out! By exploring the inherent tensions in tangible matters of theology, culture, politics, etc., I think we can all learn something (especially me)...
Looking for guidance, I began to examine the labels which seem to suit me best. Theological conservative. Political progressive. Pop-culture enthusiast. I realized I couldn't point this blog exclusively in any of these directions as none of these labels ultimately define me. In fact, on an almost daily basis, a current event or hot-button issue exposes the points of tension between these labels, calling into question their very validity. What's in a label, anyway? Far too often, we label ourselves and others in an effort to set up clear-cut boundaries. Who's acceptable and who's not? Who's right and who's wrong? Who will I associate with and who will I cast aside?
My hope, then, for this blog is a casting off of labels or, at the very least, a refining of them. A chance to speak plainly and honestly. An opportunity to embrace the tension I see and submit that tension to the light shed by a greater Truth. The person of Truth. Because, ultimately, it is my hope to take any of the labels I could ever wear and make them subservient to the Gospel which has shaped and ultimately defined my life.
Part of me hopes that upon first reading, this blog will be too conservative for my progressive friends and too progressive for my conservative comrades. But, I hope to keep each side coming back so that, together, we can wrestle with greater questions and more expansive divides than liberal/conservative, etc. Those old debates are boring and lead us nowhere. Let's instead ask questions that get us closer to truer purposes and allow us to discuss models for moving forward.
One final thought...really, a promise to you, dear reader. This thing won't be quite as existential from here on out! By exploring the inherent tensions in tangible matters of theology, culture, politics, etc., I think we can all learn something (especially me)...
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