Character Matters

Finding a political space that aligns with my values.

Last weekend, my husband and I attended the Principles First Summit in Washington, D.C. You may have read about it in the news due to “Proud Boy” Enrique Tarrio confronting former Capitol Police Officer Michael Fanone inside the hotel on Saturday, as well as there being a credible bomb threat made in Tarrio’s name to the hotel on Sunday. (My husband and I were at lunch across the street from the hotel when the conference was evacuated. We had not planned on attending the afternoon session, due to a family commitment). Those who were able to stay in town after the delay ALL went back into the Summit. It was a mere blip in the schedule caused by cowards.

I’m writing about this because during this era when down is up and up is down, those of us seeking a path forward that holds true to our values, whether they be through our Faith Tradition or through our commitment to our Country, must form bonds of friendship with those seeking the same. My husband and I met some wonderful people at the Summit. Most are former Republicans who could never get on board with Trumpism. Others, like me, are Independents and tired of the binary choice in our politics.

I know that my Faith Tradition does not fit neatly in either political party, nor should it try to. Unfortunately, many Catholics have been led by some Church officials here in the United States to believe that only one issue truly mattered in the last few elections: abortion. Many Catholics have opted to make names for themselves amidst the culture wars, rather than standing firm for the dignity of all human life, wherever it is attacked. I wonder how long it has been since some of the U.S. Bishops have read our own Church documents.

In the face of binary choices and untenable extreme political positions, many of us seek spaces where character and integrity still matter. I am far from perfect, so I seek to place myself among those who are self-reflective and not so quick to blame “the other” for society’s problems. At the Summit, we heard from a pragmatic governor, a former attorney general of the United States, a former FBI assistant director, a former U.S. prosecutor, as well as members of the center-right blogosphere. All reflected on the rule of law having been the glue that has held our country together, until now. This year, there were many Democrats in attendance as well. I see a coalition building as this was the most attended Principles First Summit to date.

The underlying commitment of Principles First is that we must work to save our Constitutional Democracy and in doing so, never compromise our principles and values while seeking particular policy outcomes. This is why we attended the Summit. The speaker line-up are principled people. I encourage you all to check out their website. They post videos of the panel discussions from past Summits there. I did not agree with everything that was said, and they certainly do not have all the answers, but at least they are asking the right questions.

I will leave you this month with this letter written by E.B. White to a friend. I found it uplifting in this era when bad actors are seeking personal gain via the levers of power in our government:

Stay tuned: In March I plan to reflect on my husband’s and my Camino de Santiago along coastal Spain last September, and my search for “thin spaces.”