GRRA
I originally designed this site under some grandiose, and quite false, premise that my voice would not only be of interest but that I could spark discussion among others. I designed a discussion section. I invited my friends to meet here to have conversations. It turns out, these calls were unconvincing even to my friends. The ambitious discussion section is now but history.
I will keep what remains as a way to vent my own thoughts into the void yet at the same time archive them. Even if that archiving is just for myself.
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- Kyle T.
Some of my broad thoughts on life.
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What I Support
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Government:
- A rights based society where individual freedom extends until the point it causes harm to the rights of another
- Rule of law based democracy that protects the rights of minorities within the society
- Free and fair elections
- The election to office of the best and brightest in our communities based on their individual merits and policy positions.
- Freedom of association to form parties or other interest groups to advocate for candidates and policy
- Reasonable regulation of use of money in the electoral process
- Meritocracy within governmental agencies
- Active/vibrant diplomacy to pursue peaceful solutions to disagreements
- Reasonable military expenditures to protect people and rights from bad actors
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Justice:
- Equality before the law (regardless of race, religion, creed, gender identity, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation)
- An independent judiciary to oversee the rule of law and to protect the rights of the people
- Right to a fair trial/due process
- Separation between military and police powers
- Open, transparent policing policies and police forces where purpose of police force is to protect the rights, safety, and property of the people they serve
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Rights:
- Freedom of speech/expression
- Right to question and petition government
- Right to peacefully gather and protest without governmental permission
- Freedom of religion
- Freedom from the government imposing religious beliefs and practices onto the people
- Freedom from government intrusion into privacy in personal matters
- Freedom from torture and abuse
- Control over your own body as long as your actions do not overly threaten/harm others (your rights stop where another's nose begins)
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Society:
- Universal healthcare
- Universal education
- A society that takes care of those in need such as the young, the elderly, the sick, those with disabilities who may need assistance.
- Civic pride in your local area, your nation, and your world
- Working to better yourself and your society
- Humane treatment of non-human life
- Reasonable drug policies/ending a blind "war on drugs"
- Marriage equality
- Reasonable restrictions on weapons of mass killing
- Basing interactions with and treatment of your fellow people on their character and not based on race, ethnicity, gender (identity), place of birth, or sexual orientation.
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Economy & Labor:
- Fair treatment of labor
- Livable wages
- Freedom of people to choose their own careers/path through life
- Encouraging the innovations, pursuits, interests, and ambitions of individuals
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Global View:
- Humanity is equal across borders and deserves equal rights across borders
- Freedom to travel around your own nation(s) and to travel from your own nation(s)
- Cross border educational exchange
- Nation-states following the rule of international law
- Fair trade with a goal of removing barriers blocking open trade among humanity
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Science, Technology, Education:
- Fact based decision making
- Scientific method
- Advancement of human knowledge and living conditions through scientific research and exploration
- Caring for and protecting the environment
- Protection from human caused extinction for non-human species (with the exception of harmful infectious microbes)
- Enlightenment
- Open thought and the teaching of critical thinking skills
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What I Am Against
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In Government:
- Authoritarianism/dictatorship
- Governments restricting religious beliefs or the ability of the people to change their religious beliefs or not have religious beliefs
- Cults of personality
- Restrictions on human rights
- Restricting individual rights when those rights are not causing harm/threat to others
- Control of politics/government by the wealthiest in society based on that wealth
- Laws/policies based on superstitions
- Treating any one group of people as lessor or unequal to another
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In Society:
- Discrimination
- Sexism
- Racism
- Personal religious beliefs forcefully imposed upon others
- Tribalism/nationalism that creates an "Us" versus "Them" mentality (used to dehumanize others)
- Blindly following ideological or fundamentalist beliefs
- Persecution based on beliefs
- Abusive behavior toward others
- Mistreatment of the environment
- Abusive behavior toward non-human life
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In Economy and Labor:
- Extreme wealth inequality
- Exploitation of labor
- Profit as primary motivator in education, healthcare, and safety
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There is obviously overlap in these broad topics, and these are not exhaustive lists. There is much reasonable debate to be had on how to achieve these goals or to defend against what we stand against. To define in black and white the Only Way is to create an ideology, and no pure ideology has ever ended well for humanity. The goal is to bring together, regardless of borders, those who share these broad beliefs and to have reasonable, civil conversations on how to help achieve them. The hope is that this is not a national conversation within any one nation, but instead that it for those who share this set of values around the world.
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Conversation between those with dissenting views is welcome. However, it is expected that those who share the values of the GRRA respond in conversation with respect and civility, even if others go low.