Partisanship: Party or Prejudice?

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Well, recent discussions and ponderings with various people whom I hold in high regard has really set some gears in motion for me, and I'm beginning to reassess my own partisanship. The beginning of this train of thought for me is chronicled in this blog that I wrote last night (read if you want the background info). It's a grammatical trainwreck due to my being up a bit too late that night, but I think it still gets my point across.

So I'm questioning -- Have I been a bit too die-hard republican lately? I wander, as recent discussions have shone a different light on the issue. It seems to me that partisanship can have rather extreme consequences, including preset prejudices and in extreme cases, hatred, for members of the other party.

But, if we back up from our own loyal affiliations and look at the matter objectively, is it not true the both political parties both have some good pionts and bad points? Is either party truly entirely bad and the other entirely good? Is overzealous partisanship becoming a dangerous divide between otherwise good-intentioned people in our country?

As I write this, I'm at the point once again where I'm considering throwing off all party affiliation and just voting as an independant. I think it would help me speak my mind as, for starters, no one would have a preset prejudice against me on the front end since I would walk in with no party affiliation. Perhaps then my ideas would be heard with more open-mindedness?

It's a curious thought, as I'm still very much pondering this angle.

But Chuck Monan, the great "Razorback Preacher" as he's known on the radio, eloquently put it this way before a class of we young singles last night:

The Republican Party, in general, strives for righteousness. They focus on principle, standing firmly on morals, and giving people the freedom to help themselves. These are the ones who are also willing to fight for what they hold dear.

The Democrat Party, meanwhile, aspires for justice. They focus on fairness to all people, and helping those who cannot help themselves. These are the also the pacifists who value peace above all else.

(Now I'm not necessarily saying either party is successful in their pursuit of these ideals, but these are the goals nonetheless.)

Is either philosophy wrong? Furthermore, should this really be a dichotomy? Should we have to choose one at the expense of the other?

His metaphor was that our republicans are the hawks, and the democrats are our doves. We need both hawks and doves in life.

So what do we do? Do we choose the righteous at the expense of justice, or justice at the expense of the righteous? How can these concepts be mutually exclusive?

Are there not problems with both parties? Are there not bad apples in both? Do not both parties also have some good ideas, and do we not need to ALL throw off our own partisanship-driven biases in order to see them?

And so these are the questions I'm asking myself. Maybe it's time I lose the party label and simply talk as James, with my own ideas and my own values, apart from any group. It's something I definately need to ponder for a while.