![[what I read in 2002]](/images/review_banner.gif)
Dissent of the Governed ::
Here’s an ironic notion: suppose that, in our quest to create a society that is accepting of all people, we wind up alienating everyone. Or, if not everyone, then maybe just people who hold political and moral views that differ from the “majority” of Americans. To put it another way, lets say our political leaders chose to be intolerant of politics they determine to be “regressive” or “intolerant. ” As a result, they in fact wind up being intolerant of groups who hold views that are contrary to what they define is a Just Government. In my estimation, the result of such political leadership would be a society that is rooted in alienation and disenfranchisement and anger. And the scariest part is: haven’t we all been in the position where we hold the view that is unpopular, regressive, or unpatriotic?
Stephen L. Carter thinks that one of the greatest threats to American Democracy is that there is no place for those people with minority views. Focusing mainly on religious groups, he shows how government (many times through its courts) alienates religious groups (and thus religious people) as it builds an all-inclusive nation with a singular understanding of the world. People of faith are alienated from this vision because their faith leads them to moral conclusions that are radically different from the mainstream, or accepted norm. That is a phenomenon I am way too familiar with.
Now, I don’t know all that much about Carter. His recent lucrative book deal notwithstanding, I know he’s African American, conservative, and himself deeply religious. And he teaches at Yale law school. I have a vague understanding of his politics, which means I know enough about them to say that I don’t agree with them all that much. But I have a hard time disagreeing with his dire assessment of the political, social, and moral climate in this country. Also, I can’t help but feel that no matter what their political views are, everyone has found themselves in the political minority, and have felt disenfranchised and alienated because of it (anti-War on Terror and anti-Globalization people, I’m looking in your direction...). The more those types of sentiments grow, the more Democracy is at risk. It’s hard to tell how much strain we can take before we finally give up.
« top »