If you are the member of a privileged group AND call yourself progressive

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

270. In discussions downthread, I think the OP and I are probably pretty close in our opinion

I misunderstood the original intent of the OP. His/her brush was not as broad as I interpreted it.

My point, however, is that I have an issue with persons who claim some sort of unassailable "moral high ground" because of their self-declared status as a victim. If you're going to convince me of something, it's going to be based on the facts of the matter and persuasive logic.

For example, the testimonies that we've been hearing in recent weeks from the families of the children murdered in Newtown are both compelling and heartbreaking. But it shouldn't be the basis for creating laws in this country. Now before you start posting a variation on the "you heartless bastard" response, let me say that I'm fully sympathetic to their loss, although I can scarely imagine their pain. I whole-heartedly agree with them, and as a matter of hard-ball politics, hearing their testimony has value in moving this country toward a goal of allowing children to attend school without being shot during second period.

Am I lacking in empathy? Hardly. I have two kids, and I really can't imagine (and on some level, I really don't want to imagine) the agony these families have been through.

But this is a discussion board. I could literally concoct any back story I wanted to about my life and try to claim some sort of special status for my perspective. Were my handle more gender-neutral, I could claim to be a woman. I could claim to be black or gay or a veteran or a host of things that I am not. So in this rarified atmostphere, I tend to place a very high value on the facts of the matter, and not the subjective impressions of a person who may have NEVER actually had the experiences that they claim.

I don't mean to be disrespectful of any individual's life experience. While their stories can provide an illustrative example of a broader point, it's ultimately not convincing to me. And to suggest that my opinion is of lesser value because I am NOT a member of one group or another is to marginalize me.