Newton South student Alec Liberman writes about having conservative views in liberal Newton in this column in the Lion’s Roar.
…when I talk to my friends about my views and express them, I’m the laughingstock of the group. Strangers will shake their heads at me. Teachers will say, “your opinion is interesting” – with obvious judgment in their minds.
My friends straight up call me a moron.
… We like to call ourselves open-minded and inclusive. Those are some of the definitions of the word “liberal” itself. So why do some of us choose what to be open-minded about?
Alec,
Just be yourself. It’s tough to be the lone voice against public opinion, but that’s what true leaders do when the time is right. keep doing what you do.
Alec is very astute young man. His article is very poignant. Not only have I experienced what he describes but also my child who is a student at NNHS. We spend a lot of time with Understanding our Difference programs in the Newton Public Schools but when it comes to different or opposing Political Views it is only the Liberal Viewpoint that counts.
Thank you Alec for having the courage to put in words what many of us with different political viewpoints have experienced living in Newton.
Great piece Alec, so many people in Newton feel the same as you do.
Political power works that way. Majority rule is the game. Anyone with political ambition must adhere to the major party whatever they call themselves and whatever they pretend to be on the surface. Good luck and continue to believe in what is right for you.
The real world isn’t that different. The popularity of political entertainment shows like O’Reilly and Maddow has rendered the general public unable to have reasoned discussion. They just regurgitate the rhetoric they hear day in and day out from one side of the other.
Interesting. So now I’m left to wonder if Kim is in the ‘real’ world regurgitating something simply said on O’Reilly or Maddow or is she in the ‘not real’ world forming that idea and statement on her own?
I guess we’ll never really know based on the premise of her comment. This now leaves me to wonder if I’m in the ‘real’ world. Gosh, now I’m questioning if I’m even ‘real’.
The issue for Alec, is that he doesn’t have people around Newton that has the same belief systems as he does. The fact is that once he leaves the Brookline/Newton area and broadens his life he will discover there are tons of people that he will agree with. He just needs patience. If he goes to college or whatever he wants to do, he’ll learn that.
KPS – Change your pronoun to a “he” and see what your comment sounds like. Would you say a man doesn’t live in the “real world”? I mention this because Kim is most definitely a guy.
My apologies Kim and Jane. See updates below. Same central theme regardless of pronouns.
Interesting. So now I’m left to wonder if Kim is in the ‘real’ world regurgitating something simply said on O’Reilly or Maddow or is HE in the ‘not real’ world forming that idea and statement on HIS own?
I guess we’ll never really know based on the premise of HIS comment. This now leaves me to wonder if I’m in the ‘real’ world. Gosh, now I’m questioning if I’m even ‘real’.
I recollect similar at South in the mid-70s. Some things never change.
Have your own opinion about the world, Alec, and keep moving on. Don’t ever let anyone stop you because they disagree with you.
Sadly, I’ve seen this all over – on both left and right. Too many supposed adults I know post memes on Facebook vilifying “all conservatives” or “all liberals”. I am proud to have some friends with whom I can have reasoned discussions on topics where we disagree, sometimes ending with just agreeing to disagree – but there are topics I just won’t bring up in public fora because it’s impossible to have civil conversations on them.
^ Yeah, this.
Politics today are very strident, hugely polarized, and at times downright nasty. I am happy to say that also have friends and family that I can rationally discuss matters with, even if we disagree. Sometimes we come to surprising conclusions between us by our bickering; that’s how it should all work.
Topics you can’t raise are part-and-parcel of the same. I see this everywhere, the rush to be offended and treat your counterpart as Satan incarnate, if they happen to raise their favorite concept to be outraged about.
People have to learn to calm the hell down.
I was once told by a wise man that you can only control two things in life: 1) Who you spend your time with and 2) what you think about. Even in Newton, believe it or not, there is a broad spectrum of perspectives on issues of all sorts. My advice to Alec is simple: do us all a favor and don’t become part of the partisan gridlock that’s responsible for much of the dysfunction around us as we will only be able to solve real problems with truly open-minded individuals and leaders.
I know the feeling.
You get the same treatment on this blog if you express views that don’t adhere to liberal dogma, as I usually do. And it starts with the organizer of this blog.
The truth is that “liberals” are so religiously dedicated to their views, without subjecting them to critical thinking or objective analysis, but merely to bleeding-heard feel-good standards, that they can’t tolerate those who disagree with them, or actually really hate them. The ones who initiated the notion of tolerance and hate crime are the real hate crimes perpetrators and the intolerant ones.
@Alec. Thank you for writing this article and for the courage to state your views so openly and so honestly. Don’t be deterred and try to get some humor into the way you respond.
This happens on both sides of the political fence. A friend of mine from my days in Washington retired a few years back, and moved back to western Kansas where he grew up. This is a solid, Republican and evangelical area in a solid red state. One of his grand nephews was almost shunned at school because he backs Bernie Sanders and has been vocally active in a number of progressive causes. Surprisingly, however, he’s hung in and has even brought a few of his High School classmates over to his side.
I think I’m in a good position to respond because I have a pretty solid record on this blog of not turning disagreements on specific issues into personal attacks. I’ll also concur with some of the things you say about conformity and political correctness going too far; The terminology does get extreme and wacky at times; but I went to Newton’s schools in the 40’s and 50’s and I’m very pleased at the progress that’s been made to level the playing field for kids with problems related to learning disabilities, bullying, sexual orientation and with ethnic and religious differences. I remember a time in Newton when life was made difficult for students with any of these challenges and when Jewish kids were often harassed and bullied.
Finally, I take exception to just one thing you said. You described the stifling system you left in Russia as a “Socialist” system and I don’t take issue with that, at all. But your perjorative use of the term “Socialist” jars a bit since I’m backing Bernie Sanders who sometimes describes himself as a “Democratic Socialist”; but Sanders and all he stands for is the furthest thing I know from the thuggish kleptocracy that crashed the old Soviet system. He and I are far, far more in tune with FDR’s New Deal and the 70 plus years of responsive, trusted and successful government actions that helped usher in a strong middle class and record growth and prosperity. You seem to see this as a struggle between unfettered free capitalism and the emergence of a Soviet style socialism here. i see America’s experience with something different than either of these extremes as the way to go. This is something we disagree on, but should be able to discuss with respect and yes– good humor.
Speaking of Kansas, may I suggest this book as it offers some insight regarding the treatment Alec and the rest of us have experienced.
What’s the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America by Thomas Frank
Link: http://amzn.com/080507774X