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Progressives, our point has been made, time to change directions

Progressives, our point has been made, time to change directions

Last updated on: May 2, 2018 at 8:59 am by Shane Phipps

Progressives, our point has been made, time to change directions 2018-05-02T08:59:42-04:00 Shane Phipps

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I haven’t been writing about politics as much lately.

I’ve still be watching and reflecting, but I haven’t taken to the keyboard much.

Every time I feel like writing, I stop myself because I feel like I’ve said it all before. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was feeling until this morning when I heard a news story that clarified it for me and gave me a clear goal for changing my own direction and a desire to see the progressive movement to change its approach.

Comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member, Rob Schneider, posted a series of tweets that were critical of SNL. He claimed Alec Baldwin’s portrayal of President Trump had become stale because it was no longer about being funny and that the hatred was all that was coming through anymore. Alec Baldwin responded to Schneider’s tweets by saying that he had a good point. The bottom line is, what started out as a brilliant and funny satire has become a tired stream of hateful vitriol.

As I reflected on what Schneider was saying, it occurred to me that this is what I have been feeling. I keep writing about the same thing. It has started to become stale. I try to approach it with a message of love, but I am afraid that hate is seeping through.

I have read countless exchanges online that illustrate to me that most of the people I have been trying to reach out to through my writing, Conservative Christians chief among them, have tuned out any message coming from their left. Because of the constant stream of rhetoric–granted, much of it well-deserved–they hear coming from people like me, they have simply dug in their heels and steeled their resolve. They are absolutely certain that people like me are so blinded by our hatred of all things Trump that we have gone right off our trolley. Likely, the only people watching SNL these days are like-minded lefties. Likely, the only people still reading what I write are those who share my views. Such is our current landscape.

So, I have a suggestion. What if we changed our approach?

There is a different way to go about this, you know.

It might be time to stop attacking and pointing out what’s wrong with the “other side” and time to start selling a positive message of hope and love.

I have spent a lot of time and used up a great deal of column space pointing at what’s wrong with Trump and his supporters. That stuff is out there and is now a part of the public record. Just like SNL, that joke has been played out.

For the time being, I plan to start looking for ways to promote the best of what I believe the progressive approach has to offer. Instead of looking for another Trump administration failing or scandal to rant about, I’m going to look for stories that illustrate why I believe what I believe and support what I support.

I suggest that the Democratic Party should begin doing the same. It’s time to find positive new faces to put front and center. Elections are approaching quickly and the time is ripe.

Let the other side point, criticize, and name call.

Let us point to the way of hope and love.

Let’s find positive leaders who will go into the streets and reach out to the hurting, love the unloved, and welcome in the marginalized. Instead of building walls, let’s build bridges.

Let’s find vibrant new blood to attract those hordes of young new voters who have had a fire lit under them and are champing at the bit to change their world.

Christians, through our actions, let’s reflect the love of Christ and attract people to his true message without having to yell and scream at people. As someone once said, proclaim the gospel at all times and only use words if necessary.

If we can begin living the kind of world we want, little by little, we’ll begin to create such a world.

Being the hands and feet of Jesus is, in the end, a surer way to change the world than standing and pointing at people who are failing to do so.

If we want people to come around to our way, they need to see us living out our message.

Promote peace and DO peace.

Promote love and DO love.

Promote the mission and BE a missionary.

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