“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
– Mark Twain
As hinted at in my previous post, I’m now tentatively approaching the topic of same-sex marriage, in the context of WordPress’ endorsement and more broadly the increasingly concerning normalisation of militant resistance to traditional values.
Wait! I know you might be tempted to close the browser after that, and maybe in doing so somewhat justify the sentence itself but just please know first and foremost that in the most recent Australian plebiscite that has simultaneously captivated, charmed and repulsed our nation I voted yes.
I voted yes because in this instance, I can’t see a good reason to prevent two people from receiving the same level of dignity, respect and recognition that all Australians receive. There are arguments thrown around about religious freedom and protections, and (most interestingly in my opinion) about the long-term effects of raising children with same-sex parent figures. I believe, however, that we will find eventually that such a societal change proves to be inconsequential if not beneficial for the nation as a whole. I’ve speculated previously that such a change bears striking similarities to the decision to grant women’s suffrage a century ago, which may have been met with similar resistance at the time yet now seems absurd to argue against.
The nature of this particular debate has been mostly peaceful – cyber bullying against those of an LGBT persuasion, while reprehensible, predates the plebiscite by the longest time, but aside from a headbutt aimed at a certain former PM, there have been few tales of physical altercations.
And yet, the keyword I’d draw attention to here would be ‘debate’. In a democratic society based enormously on science, rationalism and human rights, the freedom to debate and indeed the freedom of speech itself are absolutely essential for the continued advancement of our society.
I have begun to reflect, however, on the possibility that there are those within our society – particularly and most alarmingly those among the educated intelligentsia – that have come to see their worldview, which is based increasingly on compassion for their fellow world citizen and belief in the fundamental goodness of humanity, as the only way forward for a developed western democracy. They argue that policies of political practicality pertaining to border controls, immigration, counter-terrorism, social security, climate change and the like are unnecessarily targeting a disenfranchised minority, based on either race, gender or class.
For example, the vetting of refugee status applicants arriving from overseas; the strict process of admitting refugees from war-torn nations; the increasingly draconian measures to prevent terror threats; the cashless welfare card; the continued persistence with fossil fuel energy supplies and so on. In each instance, these policies disproportionately affect citizens of certain nations, or Australian citizens of a certain class (and, often, race).
As a result, it is frequently argued that Australia is ‘racist’, or running a campaign of fear-mongering, or clinging to archaic and inconsistent policies for securing Australia’s future. Many of those on the – and I hate the term really – ‘left’ are pushing relentlessly for Australia to relax immigration laws, adopt a less combative approach to counter-terrorism, and cease funding for fossil fuels while investing heavily into renewable energy.
Sounds great, but I for one am increasingly critical of such thinking, and I feel that the same-sex marriage plebiscite is a somewhat of a microcosm for Australia’s policy battles in general. I am critical because I am sceptical of where the motivation for these – ugh – ‘leftist’ campaigns come from. Do they emerge from an internalised sense of guilt strengthened by the access to a high-quality tertiary education and quality of life that is denied to the people they champion? Do they emerge from an incautious and simplified grasp of economic management clashing with their unwavering belief in the infallibility of climate science? Or even more nefariously, are there simply conflicts of business interest that are inadequately explained?
I don’t know.
I do, however, know this. We have not as a nation reached where we are today by being rash. We have not reached where are today by throwing all forms of tradition to the wind (quite the opposite). We have not reached where we are today by insisting on the stupidity of those that oppose us rather than reaching out to them and understanding why the discontent exists to begin with (i.e. Trump followers – do you seriously believe that the 48% of voters who supported Trump are all brainless delusional psychopathic maniacs? It’s a question, answer honestly).
I am not suggesting Australia’s policies are perfect, not by a long shot. Our treatment of asylum seekers on Manus Island for example was abhorrent, and we ended up shelling out taxpayer money in the end to prevent further shame. Ridiculous. I believe in climate science because smarter people than I have done pain-staking evidence-based research on the matter. I am suggesting however that we should be free to speak our minds. If what is spoken is invalid or disgusting, let the words be obliterated with a reasoned response. Let the natural power of logic and well-informed debate dominate society’s path, like it has always done in the past for the developed world.
But whatever happens, please do not ever base an argument solely upon your guilt or compassion. Compassion is essential for creating a fair and just world, but it must be balanced with an understanding of how we achieved the society we have today.
So go, vote yes in the plebiscite, or vote no. But whichever way you vote, have a reason for doing so that takes into account all of this. Base it on logic and reason, and if you do not have a logical reason, take a few minutes and google it. You have been given a gift in democracy – do not do an injustice to those that dedicated their lives to giving you the ability to have a voice.
TJDempsey 