Does calling for a radiant center in
politics mean that people of good will should be, or seek to be, centrists? Is
being a centrist always a positive thing? Is there anything negative about
being a centrist? These are some of the questions I began to think about after
posting my Feb. 8 blog article and reading the thoughtful comments made about
it.
WHY BEING A CENTRIST
IS GOOD
Assuming that being in the “radiant center”
as proposed in that blog article makes one a centrist, the positive things
about such location must be considered.
Centrists are persons who don’t like
extremism and want to live in peace and harmony with all people as much as
possible. That’s good.
Centrists are persons who want to accept,
and be accepted by, people who disagree with them and who promote inclusion
over exclusion. That’s good.
Centrists are persons who appreciate and
affirm truth, beauty, and goodness wherever it is found, no matter the label or
the location. That’s good, too.
WHY BEING A CENTRIST
CAN BE BAD
Sometimes being a centrist is not a good
thing, however. That is particularly true when, or if, centrality means
neutrality in the face of injustice.
In one of his oft-quoted
statements, Desmond Tutu said,
In the 1930s, what benefit was it to the
Jews for many (most) Germans to be centrists rather than being on the left
opposing Hitler and the Nazi fascists?
In the early 1960s, what benefit was it for
many (most) white Americans to be centrists rather than being on the left
opposing the Jim Crow laws supported by the segregationists on the right?
In the 2010s, what benefit was it for many
(most) “straight” people to be centrists rather than being on the left
supporting the civil rights of LGBT people buffeted by prejudice and
discrimination by those on the right?
And looking toward the future, if human
habitation on this planet is in jeopardy because of effects of global warming, as it most probably is, what benefit is it for citizens of the world
to be centrists rather than being on the left and in vocal opposition to the global
warming deniers on the right?
If being a centrist means not taking a
stand against injustice and against the mistreatment of people or the
environment, then clearly that is not good.
ANOTHER WAY OF BEING A CENTRIST
Soon after posting the Feb. 8
article on the radiant center, I realized that I had mixed metaphors in talking
about the center. That realization was partly due to reading Mennonite
theologian Ted Grimsrud’s Feb. 7 blog article titled “The Left/Right Schema
Must Go” (see here).
Grimsrud stressed the
importance of holding to “core values.” This means that the center is the core,
not the position between the right and the left on a linear spectrum. This is
what Easel Roberts was suggesting, I came to realize, with the image of the
merry-go-round—and what I had missed by staying with the right/left schema.
So, moving toward the center,
which represents core values, is another way—and a good way—to be a centrist.
But, alas, that doesn’t seem
to solve the problem of the division (“polarity”!) so prominent in contemporary
society. Why? Because people disagree on core values. For example, conservatives
(people on the right) see their opposition to abortion (“killing babies”) to be
an immovable core value. But people on the left see women’s reproductive rights
(“pro-choice”) as an important core value.
So, being this kind of
centrist is also a problem.
.jpg)