Nellie's journey over recent years, resonates with me profoundly, more so than almost any other I've encountered. It mirrors my own intellectual evolution. I initially marched in lockstep with the liberal/progressive movement, particularly during the Obama and early Trump years. I too felt outrage, passing judgment, and participating in …
Nellie's journey over recent years, resonates with me profoundly, more so than almost any other I've encountered. It mirrors my own intellectual evolution. I initially marched in lockstep with the liberal/progressive movement, particularly during the Obama and early Trump years. I too felt outrage, passing judgment, and participating in the cancellation of individuals over what sometimes seemed like irreconcilable differences, especially with the emergence of Trump and during the peak of the COVID era.
However, increasingly I found myself experiencing moments of unease and embarrassment when I couldn't align myself with every facet of the progressive/woke agenda. I grappled with conflicting emotions, questioning whether the #MeToo movement had overreached on occasion, feeling discomfort when expected to unquestionably endorse BLM slogans, all while privately maintaining a belief in the fundamental decency of the majority of law enforcement officers.
I felt a need to introspect when I found myself puzzled by what seemed like trivial matters to my tween daughter, who would admonish me for questioning the authenticity of her friend's gender identity exploration. Attending Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) meetings at our exclusive and liberal school only intensified my discomfort, as I struggled to perceive any tangible benefits for individuals of any racial background from the approaches advocated by the "anti-racism" movement.
My perspective underwent a profound shift after October 7th, and I no longer feel ashamed to identify as a liberal who dissents from certain illiberal ideas propagated by the progressive left.
Nellie's journey over recent years, resonates with me profoundly, more so than almost any other I've encountered. It mirrors my own intellectual evolution. I initially marched in lockstep with the liberal/progressive movement, particularly during the Obama and early Trump years. I too felt outrage, passing judgment, and participating in the cancellation of individuals over what sometimes seemed like irreconcilable differences, especially with the emergence of Trump and during the peak of the COVID era.
However, increasingly I found myself experiencing moments of unease and embarrassment when I couldn't align myself with every facet of the progressive/woke agenda. I grappled with conflicting emotions, questioning whether the #MeToo movement had overreached on occasion, feeling discomfort when expected to unquestionably endorse BLM slogans, all while privately maintaining a belief in the fundamental decency of the majority of law enforcement officers.
I felt a need to introspect when I found myself puzzled by what seemed like trivial matters to my tween daughter, who would admonish me for questioning the authenticity of her friend's gender identity exploration. Attending Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) meetings at our exclusive and liberal school only intensified my discomfort, as I struggled to perceive any tangible benefits for individuals of any racial background from the approaches advocated by the "anti-racism" movement.
My perspective underwent a profound shift after October 7th, and I no longer feel ashamed to identify as a liberal who dissents from certain illiberal ideas propagated by the progressive left.