Written by Keith Sanders   

Dear Progressives,

You know, of all the distressing things I saw and heard this political season, it was the division of families, friends, and communities by the dishonesty of the right that shocked me the most. The fervent nature of the right's opposition to progress shocked me in a way I haven't been before, certainly not in any other election. Conservatism runs the risk of becoming irrelevant in this more and more diverse nation, but we must also be cautious of the forces that seek to fill that void. I, like most progressives I believe, only grudgingly cast a vote for Obama, and before someone lambastes me about not voting third party, please think about what you are saying. I didn't vote third party because I didn't like any of the third party candidates either. I felt for the most part that their agendas were largely unrealistic. I don't agree with many of the things that Obama has done as a president, but of the 6 candidates on the ballot here in California, he was the best choice in my opinion. As far as the third party candidates go, here is a small summary of my feelings. Gary Johnson has some good ideas domestically, but he is an isolationist, which is too simplified a view of the world. Jill Stein was probably my second choice, but she didn't have the fire that I think a Green Party candidate needs. Tom Hoefling is a strict proponent of constitutionalism, and proposing that the Constitution needs to be interpreted strictly almost 250 years after it was created is nonsense. Rosanne Barr.....well, I don't need to say anything about her, although, to her credit, she did beat Tom Hoefling.

I was hoping that at least some of those who voted for Mitt Romney might put down their banner of conservatism, however it appears that their resolve has only been strengthened. This article illustrates the poison that this resolve represents:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/trending/2012/11/13/secession_texas_and_33_other_states_prepare_petitions_to_secede.html

Now, I am certainly not naive enough to think that states will be able to secede. The Supreme Court did rule long ago that states do not have the constitutional right to secede. However, it is emblematic of the division this election caused.

In the end, what this points to is the fact that ideologies are starting to override intelligent discourse and rational thinking. Most progressives understand how dangerous ideologies are, but we must double down in our fight to return logical, rational, and critical thinking to political discussions. Ideological viewpoints are poisonous, because they largely discount any other viewpoint. We as progressives understand that we will only succeed as a country, and as a species, only if we do it together.

My initial assessment is that we can truly blame this situation on the mainstream media. Since when did it become a journalist's job to avoid telling the truth or asking tough questions. The media panders to politicians, constantly lobbing easy to hit pitches right over the center of the plate. It has become an exception to see a journalist stand up for the truth (the objective truth, not an ideological truth), instead of the rule. Thank whatever you consider holy that there are organizations like RSN and others to help get less slanted news out there.

The media is not the only party to blame though. I believe that average citizens have to shoulder some of the blame as well. Their refusal to seek out information that allows them to craft their own thoughts and ideas is not only dangerous, but inherently irresponsible. I get my news from roughly 20 different sources, then I make up my own damn mind.

As progressives we must be willing to battle these false ideologies in whatever way we can. The media could help to stem this hemorrhaging of intellect, but instead they are either complacent or complicit in the dumbing down of a vast number of American citizens.

I think that the final share of blame falls on our beleaguered education system. We insist on measurable results for "accountability", but that ignores the true meaning of education. Education is truly about growth from a personal, intellectual, and emotional standpoint. A well-rounded education can provide armor against those who would prefer to keep most citizens misinformed.

We have forgotten the lessons of the past. The Renaissance is largely considered one of the brightest periods of growth in human thought, and for good reason. I think that those "Renaissance Men" that we still revere for their influence on what we think of as human society, became such leading thinkers due to lifelong learning. They would study and learn for their entire life, learning many things about many different subjects, and their accomplishments show the fruits of that labor.

There are certainly more distractions that make it difficult for an individual to focus on constantly learning, but the way our education system is designed certainly doesn't help. We force kids to learn a bunch of facts just so they can regurgitate them in some kind of standardized test. What benefit does that give the student or society? We should be teaching our children how to think critically, and exposing them to multiple schools of thought. Our children should be taught objectively about history, philosophy, art, religion, mathematics, civics, and science. From my own experience in school, I can remember learning only huge amounts of mathematics, basic science, and English (mainly focusing on grammar and writing). Now, those subjects are important, no one refutes that, but breadth of knowledge is where the true prize lies. Exposing kids to art, music, philosophy, civics, theoretical science, and religion (such a dirty word I know, but it can be taught objectively) would mean graduates who actually have grown up by the time they leave school. It would also be possible that maybe, just maybe kids would be curious enough about learning at that point to continue learning for a lifetime. We bore our students to death with a curriculum devoid of culture and diversity.

We also need to start being realistic. There should be a concerted effort, once a child has made it to high school, to ascertain their strengths. In this way, they can be gently guided in a path that will allow them to flourish. Instead, our society perpetuates this fallacy that they can be whatever they want, and then we wonder why they are upset when they leave college and can't find a job, or why they drop out because school doesn't hold their interest.

Facts, logic, realism, and pragmatism have all taken a hit in the past 12 years, and we as progressives have to make sure that it doesn't continue. We need to do our best to help people make that connection, to see the blinkers that are being pulled over their eyes by the mainstream media and many in the political arena.

Human progress will continue one way or another. What we have to decide, as Americans, is if we want to be leading the progress, or following someone else.