All of us have viewpoints on various issues and policies. We have opinions on the criminal justice system, immigration issues, and eligibility for health care benefits, to name 3 examples.
For many of us, our opinions evolve as we gain life experience and wisdom, which change how we view the world. I regard this as personal growth which we should all welcome and aspire to. I acknowledge that there are some bedrock principles that should remain stable. For instance, the tenet that physicians should serve their patients’ interests and not their own should persist.
With age, comes wisdom.
We have also seen folks change their positions, sometimes rapidly, using a pathway different from the personal growth process I noted above. Views can change rather suddenly when an issue affects someone or a loved one more directly. For instance, a champion of strict law and order might feel that leniency is in order if his own son faces expulsion from a university after protesting in the school library. If, however, you advocate zero tolerance for an infraction, then you should also advocate zero exceptions. If you think that someone else’s son should face a consequence, then fairness dictates that you favor the same outcome for your own son, even if this would be difficult for a parent.
Issues feel very different when they have invaded your personal world. A stark example of this is how easy it is from afar to oppose paying ransom than if one of your loved ones is kidnapped.
We are all reading lately about politicians who want to trim back Medicaid and food stamps and other entitlements. While we all know that these programs can never achieve 100% efficiency, the proposed cuts will extend way beyond their claimed targets of waste, fraud and abuse. Real people who depend upon these social programs will be hurt and forced to make very difficult choices. This is wrong.
I wonder how many of these politicians who advocate for cutting back have ever missed a meal, had unmanageable credit card debt, fell behind on rent or house payments or lost their medical insurance? If they knew personally what it felt like to be vulnerable and struggling, might their views on hacking benefits away from their constituents be different?
Editor’s Note: For 16 years, I've published weekly essays here on Blogspot, which will continue. I’ve now begun publishing my work on a new blogging platform, Substack, and I hope you’ll join me there. Please enter your email address at this link to receive my posts directly to your inbox.
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