Vol. 5 Iss. 2: Know Thyself. Then Hug a Conservative.

   By Justin Latterell

   After the sweeping Republican victories on November 2, 2004, the temptation for shell-shocked Democrats and progressive people of faith is to withdraw from public life and watch Karl Rove’s house of cards come falling down around him. In the face of a federal government that is increasingly unwilling and financially unable to address issues of social justice, however, it is more important than ever for progressives to engage in real efforts for social change and community development.

   These efforts must extend beyond politics. Too often, we have let the pursuit of a government oriented to social justice overcompensate for our own responsibility to pursue justice in our everyday lives. Even if it proves the neoconservatives in the White House right, progressive people of faith must tap into the huge potential for community development that exists within our nation’s churches, synagogues and mosques. Projects like the UTS Poverty Initiative are on the right track by moving beyond awareness and activism towards actual engagement within the community.

   Democrats should also respond to the recent elections introspectively. It is no longer sufficient to confront poverty, bigotry and injustice with amoral, relativistic language. Amid calls for the party to move more to the right or the left on the political spectrum, progressives must first push the party to evaluate what we believe, why we believe it, and how to communicate our message more effectively. Politicians can pander to individual issues like abortion and gay marriage, but without a clear and tangible message to counter the Republican motto of “Lower Taxes, Smaller Government, Less Regulation,” Democrats won’t win back the hearts and minds of the American public.

   Finally, at a moment in history that demands our strong voice of principled dissent, progressives must not forget our moral obligation to find common ground with our political adversaries. Former President Clinton recently stated that “America has two great dominant strands of political thought ... conservatism, which, at its very best, draws lines that should not be crossed; and progressivism, which, at its very best, breaks down barriers that are no longer needed or never should have been erected in the first place.” As the minority party in Congress, we must infuse our principles with pragmatism to ensure that the lines being drawn and the barriers being built by the majority party are just, or at the very least, easier to someday break down.