Don’t turn someone else into a stereotype for your own political gain

I can’t believe it! I’ve finally been inducted into the liberal news media.

Just imagine. I’ll probably get a better parking space at my office, maybe even better working hours.

And let’s not forget an improved health insurance package. Because if there’s anything that members of the liberal news media demand, it’s universal health care.

I hope this is going to come with a newsletter and information about when the meetings are; I’m not quite sure which left-wing agenda item we’re all supposed to be pushing right now. I’ve usually relied on my own judgment in determining what kind of news will appear in my newspapers. But now that I’m a member of the liberal news media (yes, it is a conspiracy), I’ll have to tune into what the group-think is day to day.

I discovered that I’m a new member of the liberal news media by reading it on the Web site for GOPUSA Illinois (Oct. 20), overseen by Dave Diersen of Wheaton. Diersen is the 9th precinct committeeman for the Milton Township Republican Central Committee. GOPUSA Illinois presents Web links to numerous articles from news organizations and political organizations posted each day by Diersen

It’s quite a listing, and I admire Diersen’s commitment to compile it each morning. On his Web site, he says he has more than 800 subscribers who receive his list each day via e-mails. Diersen also notes that he accepts no money from anyone else to produce his Web site each day and doesn’t use advertising.

My concern (and it’s shared by other people familiar with GOPUSA Illinois) is the unsubstantiated claims Diersen makes virtuallty every day about some person or group. When the stock market dropped sharply due to the crisis in the mortgage and financial markets, Diersen said that liberal groups such as certain newspapers were actively trying to sour the economy so they could elect Barack Obama.

As a co-worker of mine (sarcastically) observed, that makes perfect sense. Never mind that we all work for businesses that will be adversely impacted by a recession, perhaps even losing our own jobs. The ideological thrust to elect Obama is so great that we’ll do whatever we can to see Obama become president, even jeopardize our livelihoods.

It’s completely ludicrous.

Diersen wants to shove everyone in an ideological cookie-cutter. If someone doesn’t match up perfectly what his idea of a conservative, this person is labeled anti-American, anti-conservative, anti-religious, etc., regardless of the facts.

The problem with this approach is that is perpetuates gross generalizations about people and their motives. Diersen probably wouldn’t know some of these people if he met them, yet he’s fully prepared to diagnose their political ideologies.

Ken Vanko, a lawyer with the Wheaton-based firm of Clingen Callow & McLean, maintains a blog called View From the Center. In a posting today called “Any ‘Reason’ for an Illigent Debate?” Vanko writes that hashing out pre-formed platitudes rather than engaging in an intelligent discussion demeans the political process. He believes this is driving many people away from John McCain’s campaign and toward Obama, and he’s correct.

Diersen is certainly not alone in devising false characterizations of people who challenge his claims. This is incredibly common. Since I’ve been writing newspaper columns for nearly two decades, I’ve been called just about every name and accused of every political inclination — and they often contradict each other.

And once again, many of these are people who have never met me. How in the world can they sum up my ideology when they’ve had so little contact with me?

This is a major problem with our political system. People create these theoretical frameworks according to their own ideology. This is unhealthy in a society like ours that practices democracy. It’s dehumanizing and breeds contempt for others who don’t think exactly like you do — and I mean exactly.

Don’t presume to know someone’s worldview or political ideology unless you know them well or at least have had their philosophy explained thoroughly to you. I’m not suggesting that people shouldn’t defend their beliefs. But don’t turn someone else into a caricature while doing so.

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