Why I'm Progressive

Bill O'Reilly calls people of my persuasion "Secular Progressives" or "SP's" for short.  He means it in a bad way; as a slur to fling toward liberals.  But I take absolutely no offense at this label.  I think it's an accurate descriptor for my views.  Yes, I am secular, and yes, I am progressive.

I am progressive because I am on the side of progress.  Is that a bad thing?  I thought we wanted progress.  Look at it this way, throughout history, the following positions were progressive positions:

• Slavery is bad.
• Women should be able to vote.
• Children should not be forced to work.
• People should not have to be Catholic.
• Everyone should be allowed to read.
• Workers should receive a fair wage.
• Poor people shouldn't starve to death.
• All children should get an education.
• People should get to have a say in their government.
• Little girls should get to play soccer too.
• Husbands shouldn't have the right to beat up their wives.
• People should be allowed to marry outside their religion.
• Having a weekend off every now and again might be nice.

Throughout history, people like me have always pushed unpopular ideas in order to make progress in our ever evolving understanding of the universe.  Every piece of social "progress" that has ever been made was made by "progressives."

It's not that we progressives are a bunch of rabble-rousers who are trying to tear down "traditional values" or anything.  It's just that we've learned from history that things can keep getting better for people if we keep pushing them a little further outside of their comfort zones, and into a world where we're all accepted and given a chance in life, no matter how we started out or who we are.

We are, in essence, people who care about the welfare of humanity, and want the best for everyone.  And instead of hoping and praying that things will change and get better, we get out there and actually do something about it.  We are looking down the road, to a future that is even more free for our children to live a good life.

If you think that progressives are making too much noise about gay rights and trying to "shove a lifestyle" down your throats, consider this: 100 years ago women were going to jail for trying shove the idea of women voting down everyone's throats.  Women participating in politics was supposed to break up the family and lead to women thoughtlessly leaving their children and husbands.  The only problem was, it didn't.  Women fought against staggering odds to get the right to vote, and eventually they got it.  In their day, they were the progressives. 

So remember, 100 years from now, the things that progressives are fighting for today will seem commonplace, and your grandchildren will wonder why you were against it at all.