We all know the adage typically ascribed to Voltaire: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
(Notice that famous quote is actually from Evelyn Beatrice Hall, very succinctly summarizing the attitude of Voltaire in a book she wrote about him.)
I noticed that on Facebook one of my articles, the one on magical thinking got some unexpected support.
It came from the “Gender Critical Greens PAC”, whose website you can find here.
They describe themselves as follows:
Gender Critical Greens PAC
Page · Political Organization
The PAC exists to promote the Green Party as a political home to feminist allies; and to promote wit
On their facebook account, they had posted a link of my article, and the following text:
“This author does not speak for the the PAC. Our politics find broad areas of agreement with the author on the narrow topic of this article, 'Magical thinking, a deep dive into woke minds', and yet it is likely that Gender Critical Greens will take issue with a handful of the statements made in this piece. Nonetheless, there is much of value to be found here. We trust that GC Greens are mature enough to take what is useful here without being distracted by those references which might grate.”
Bravo, Gender Critical Greens, bravo!
This type of post gives cause for great hope. Even on the other side of politics, this high level of proper thinking is still not dead. “We trust that GC Greens are mature enough to take what is useful here without being distracted by those references which might grate.”
That is a very mature statement, of people who are confident in their position, able to look at other sources, and learn from it, and properly engage.
This was not a unique post, either.
More recently, they posted on the documentary ‘What is a woman’ by Matt Walsh. They wrote:
“Matt Walsh's documentary is out. His politics are not Green politics, but on some questions we might find ourselves aligned. The man has a sense of humor.
In this 90 minute film, he managed to get many spokespeople for gender ideology across multiple 'disciplines' to go on camera and answer his questions. At least they answered his questions until they stopped, refusing to continue to humiliate themselves by how poorly prepared they were to defend the positions they advocated. I was not counting while watching, but having just completed this show, I recall at least four individuals who while on camera advised him that his interview with them was over.
Its been pretty clear to any of us who have critically examined gender ideology to any extent, that there is no there, there.”
Again, the same mature, critical but open stance.
Regardless of the politics of these Greens, I do respect them, immensely.
Sometimes, in the heath of debate or at the height of passion when the news cycle reports on the latest going-ons, and especially when we hear about ‘cancel culture’ and doxing and how protests target even the homes and families and at times the children of people simply because they hold to an opinion different from those of the protesters, we forget that it is ok that people disagree with us, and have different opinions.
Image the whole world was exactly like me (or like you, for that matter): same likes, dislikes, same opinions, 100%. Apart from terribly boring and sterile, we’d still find ways to disagree: the ‘me’ from right now, would disagree with the ’me’ from yesterday, and the ‘me’ from tomorrow (hopefully) would be wiser and more learned, and perhaps think differently, also!
Yes, people from the Gender Critical Greens: I would oppose some of your politics, as I would support some of your other positions.
But I thank you, in this article, first and foremost, for reminding us that we don’t need to agree 100% to remain civil and open and inquiring.
True pluralism is not about the lowest common denominator, a grey bland where we ‘agree to disagree’ and simply walk away, or merely say ‘whatever suits you and makes you happy’, as if truth is subjective. Truth most definitely is not subjective, even if it often surprises us, like light, at times refracting in a dazzling display of different colors, but always coming back to that same pure light, expelling darkness.
One of my biggest frustrations in my politically engaged life, since high school, was how incredibly hard it was to find people on the other side of issues who are willing to listen and engage and explain their own positions, defend them against counters, provide counters of their own, so that I could test my own ideas, and to learn about the other positions first hand from those who hold them.
All too often, upon learning where I stand, people simply shut down, or start insulting and attacking me, at times physically. Crazy how that works. Intimidation, but no actual learning.
But luckily, we get reminders, all throughout, and at times even from very unexpected corners, of how to properly think and behave.
So, when things are good, we’ll tell you too.
All is well.
Amen! This agenda of dividing us from even conducting open minding discourse must be defeated.
Amen. Thank You Arn🙏💪