Ryan ChartrandThere are many things I felt and thought when reading Ian Nachreiner’s article about the Star Wars “dark side” and its connection to “liberals.” I first felt humor, then anger, and finally sympathy. My sympathy is not for Nachreiner or his ridiculous argument, but how his beliefs of “us vs. them” have become acceptable and commonplace as of late. I will explain why Mr. Nachreiner’s foundationless and simply misinformed argument is destructive using my ability to look past the classic “us vs. them” tactics.
Nobody is always “right.” That is an undeniable fact. We are all imperfect, which is another undeniable fact. Why, then, do so many people, including Mr. Nachreiner, feel their beliefs are the only ones with merit and it’s their way or the highway?
We will always disagree with each other; it’s our nature as human beings. For instance, I disagree with Jeremy Hicks, Ricky Bailey (a friend of mine), and countless other friends on issues such as taxes. This is a very complicated issue that can’t be reduced to saying, “You are all heartless neo-cons that only care about money” or stating that we “are all bleeding-heart liberals who want to steal money from hard-working Americans.” We all know neither of those are logical arguments, but then why do we reduce an incredibly complex topic to petty sound bites? It just seems lazy and hateful.
Ian, as per your confusion, I’ll explain exactly why I have chosen the “liberal” way. I believe we must do all we can to help others who are not as fortunate as us in a variety of ways. I believe that we should take care of the environment, and that we should not go to war over such buzzwords as “WMD” and “9/11 connection.” My “liberal” beliefs are guided by my faith, with Bible verses such as “he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor,” “God will destroy those who destroy the earth,” and “blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”
In sum, shame on you, Mr. Nachreiner. Your reduction of the liberal point of view to us wanting to save a fish over farmers not only makes you look foolish, but also your party. Every member of the Cal Poly College Republicans should be ashamed of you because it is arguments like yours that will get a Democratic president elected. We do not agree on a lot of matters, but that is what makes this country great. However, your tactics lead to further confusion and unnecessary, unproductive division. As you can see with the comments some have made about your article, you are only proving your ability to piss people off. As Barack Obama says, “Democrats don’t have a monopoly on good ideas.” The time is now for everyone to hold that to be true about their own beliefs. And no, Mr. Nachreiner, it is not my dark side Jedi mind tricks that make you believe me, it’s your conscience.
Conner Johnston is a industrial engineering junior and a guest columnist for the Mustang Daily.