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Some answers In lieu of... Okiedoke :: The same but different Paroxysm of Optimism citizenkeith On the Wings of Charlie's Angels Opposition Research Bad Moon Rising The Practiced Look of Disinterest Wet Nose Justin Oldham - Politics and Patriotism
Wilco The Flaming Lips The New Radicals John Mayer Zero 7 Dream Theater Radiohead Death Cab for Cutie The Notwist O.S.I. Ani Difranco The Shins Elliott Smith Badly Drawn Boy Chroma Key Coheed and Cambria The Streets Andrew Bird Sufjan Stevens Atom Site Feed 
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7.14.2004
The last few weeks I've had the pleasure of hanging out with some fellow Tulsa bloggers. I mention this because a) I wanted to use the above title and b) because we don't even really talk about politics. We focus on our own stories and personal experience, because well, talking politics is kind of a bore. Politics, while important, are a pale shadow of what's really important, and that's people's lives and the stories they live. Our activities in the political arena should be towards the aim of making it as easy as possible for the most amount of people to live good lives. We should not have to think about getting shot down in the streets, or losing everything we own to thieves or corruption. We should not have to suffer needlessly in a society that has the means to provide each of use at least the basic level of human dignity. We should have the freedom to pursue our own interests and vision of ourselves with as little outside interference as possible. That most people don't focus their lives on politics is a good sign in many ways. It means that politics has become transparent in our lives. But we should not go so far as to ignore any threats to our way of life. There is a balance between nerdy fascination and negligence. I lean in one direction, others lean in the other. Living in a conservative place like Oklahoma has taught me that where people stand on the political spectrum matters less than their core concepts of right and wrong. Its a mistake to think that liberals and conservatives are opposites in how we view basic human decency. In general I can go great lengths into a conversation with a person without discerning their political bent. Its not until you start discussing methods for achieving our common goals does it become apparent that there are divisions. So I would encourage everyone to sit down with a person you might disagree with an just talk about your own lives outside of the context of political parties and ideologies. You'll be surprised to see how much common ground can be found. Especially if you grease the wheels with a few pints first. |
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