Our government does not have a stellar record when it comes to listening to the concerns of minorities. It was only 50 years ago that separate but equal ruled the land, and to this day, we fight for the rights of LGBT citizens, another minority. Now, it seems, we have a new minority: conservatives.
It's tempting to say that the sweeping victories for the President and Democrats in the Senate are a mandate to govern with a far reaching liberal agenda, but let us not forget the 48% of American's that voted against them. We are a country divided, make no mistake, and to neglect the concerns of the other half that, on this occasion, make up the minority, is to make the same mistake they made when they ignored the concerns of so many minorities that came before.
More and more, the Republican party represents the views of a minority of Americans. Their ideas are often out of touch, unrealistic, or just plain wrong (trickle down economics anyone?), but that doesn't mean we can completely overlook them. Is there really anything wrong with assuring that the government isn't wasting money? I'm not talking about spending on programs like PBS, but what about the millions that have just disappeared in Iraq or the tanks the Army doesn't even want? I don't see a problem with eliminating government waste -- we just differ on what constitutes waste.
Some might be tempted to rule with a totalitarian hand, to write off the unpopular ideas of the far right, and take with them the few who still stand toward the center. To do so would be to make the same mistake those who stood against progress have made.
When you suppress a minority group, as groups amongst us on the left have been suppressed in the past, you galvanize them in their cause. You give them strength through their common goal. By giving them a voice, you divide them: enough will be contented with the progress that they make to live with the status quo, while the others will call on deaf ears for a stronger united front. Giving people a voice takes away their reason to oppose you.
So as we move into this new era of liberalism that everyone is talking about, we should take note of the past and remember the way our voices were once silenced. We cannot fall into the trap of this one, cold-hearted belief:
That like it or not, we're doing this for your own good.