Because of my harsh rhetoric against the politics of liberalism, I sometimes worry that my readers think I hate liberals as people. If you’re a self-described liberal who has ventured into the political side of our publication, rest assured that I welcome you.
Until around 2017, I was, by my own definition, a liberal. I grew up in San Diego, a blue city in a blue state. The vast majority of my friends and family members are liberals. I have social policy positions people tend to perceive as liberal. Before 2020, I voted only for Democratic Party presidential candidates.
Between 2017 and 2020, I moved leftward on the political spectrum, to what some call the “far left.” Meanwhile I began to develop my vision for The Rauch Review.
During this brainstorming process, I realized the irony of my project. I was creating a publication about literature, which would probably attract a plurality of liberals, but with a leftist political perspective.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the leftist community, we often debate whether it’s worth trying to persuade liberals to our ways of thinking and voting. I assume this debate happens because liberals have been the most hostile opponents of the far left, at least since 2016. Liberals are usually the ones who accuse us of being election spoilers, Russia sympathizers, Asad apologists and anti-vaxxers, to name a few of the common insults.
Because of my background, I believe liberals are worth engaging with, even when they hate us. All of the leftists I know are former liberals. We are living proof that it’s possible to have fruitful political discussions instead of assuming our differences mean we must be horrible people.
On a personal level, I love my liberal friends and family members more than I ever have. I measure a person’s character by how they treat the people in their lives, not how they vote. All the liberals I know are wonderful people.
I apply this standard to myself, too. I don’t think my leftism makes me more or less moral than liberals.
I’m not asking you to agree with our politics or set aside your emotions. All I’m asking is that you try to approach differing political perspectives without assumptions. Every day I do my best to take my own advice, so I hope you’ll join me on that journey.
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