Objectivity

Something that I believe very strongly is that there is no such thing as objectivity. We fight our biases and try to be reasonable and rational, but every experience we've had colors our view of the world. And there are some beliefs and experiences that are so fundamental they preclude our ever seeing situations the same way. Religion is an example of this. If you are converted to some belief system, truly converted, your view of life, of choice and consequences, is different than someone who does not believe. Neither party is then able to objectively see the situation from the other's point of view. Each can try and empathize, and should try. But true objectivity does not exist. There is no cultural vacuum.

Because of this understanding, I fully own that my thoughts and opinions on issues are fully colored by my morals and education. I do not live in an ivory tower where I presume to be "the un-" enough to be able to be "objective." I also fail to understand the silly piety that journalists feel surrounds the "virtue of objectivity" in writing.

So, starting there, when reading articles like this one I'm always interested in finding out where a person is coming from as they write. And it is obvious through context. Look and see. I'll show you.

First, this article. It was posted by my friend who is in the "studying the Tea Party" business. The article is obviously written by someone who is as flabbergasted by the Tea Party phenomena as most of the country's left. The fact that he was invited to speak at this conference attests to this. But something you have to do is look at the premise of the article. The title "Lefty Academics Convene in Berkeley to try to make sense of the Tea Party Movement" denotes that first, they don't understand it. That is clear by the current political climate. The academics at this convention are comparing it to a template.

Rush Limbaugh (love him or hate him) talks a lot about the template that the Left has trouble moving past. They see "their enemy" generally as white racist homophobes who lack education (because if they knew anything they wouldn't live in fly over country right?). They are typically zealously religious - to the caricature/hypocrite level (seen a sane religious person in a movie recently?). And as smart as I'm sure these academics are - they are completely incapable of seeing past that.

When polling Tea Party supporters, the article writes, the academics are finding a clear racial factor. I see that and wonder why they think that. Don't worry - the article is clear in pointing out the basis for such an objective statement. Not his opinion as a clear NON-supporter of the movement, but his objective assessment of facts found during a non-biased poll.

Oh it's that good. Here we go.

The poll asked Tea Partiers if they agree with the "proposition that blacks ought to work their way up without any special favors" and among the "true believers" 92% agreed with this. Racism confirmed.

Seriously? I had to read this twice. Wait, what? Ok so the right answer would have been that you think they should be given special favors? and if you don't then you don't like black people?

Of course not. As someone who has much more in common ideologically with Tea Partiers than these convention goers - I'll translate and show them why their template view is going to be serious trouble for them.

They assume racism is there and so they see it in this poll.

What they don't see is the reality.

Yes, they think that blacks should work their way up without any special favors. I agree with that. But I also think my (white) sons should work their way up without any special favors. I want my neighbors to work their way up without special favors - especially if any of these special favors come from the government. Unfortunately, those conventioners can't see that.

The Tea Party is not anti-race or anti-party. They are simply anti-big government involvement: irrespective of party, race, or other affiliation.

But because the Left can't fathom any answer to any problem that isn't solved with government - it does not even enter their minds that it is actually the problem to be solved.

The convention participants are however, so sure of their objectivity that their data creates fact.

Facts that continue to baffle. And will continue to do so as long as they are convinced that they are seeing the siutation objectively.