Political Valency?

A Little Science

Free radical: An atom or group of atoms with an unpaired valence electron. Most free radicals are highly reactive. Picture it as a bunch of people in a cluster where one of them sticks out a hand in an effort to grab onto the next person or cluster of people that comes by.

Valency: The combining power of an atom or radical. A valence electron is the electron that takes part in forming chemical bonds. It operates by the number of electrons in the outermost shell of the atoms of that element. These electrons are given up to other atoms or are received from other atoms to create bonds. The result is a compound with stable electronic configuration.

Parallels

Sometimes the parallels between ‘small’ science and human behavior are too strong to miss, and needs pointing out. As a political activist of sorts, being outspoken and somewhat fiery about my political and social ideals, I travel in circles that attract like-minded Americans; those pushed to the edge over what they view as a corrupt and detached system that no longer serves the interests of the people. We all seem to share the same goal; making America a better place for its citizens, be it through education, health care, corporate reform, environmental concerns, or global peace initiatives.

Many politically aware people feel impotent. We write letters, donate money, attend protests, blog, and support our favored PACs, but all the effort still doesn’t seem to make any positive changes. Nor it is very fulfilling emotionally when your candidate of choice, after courting your support, once in Washington, turns out to be the opposite of what he portrayed himself to be. We feel ‘suckered’ and betrayed, but few of us, like jilted lovers, are willing to give up on politics altogether and eventually begin ‘dating’ another ideal or candidate. We ALL want to be heard.

I meet many people who feel their voices have become redundant, leave one cause and head straight for another, sometimes leaping straight across the political spectrum to do so. We all want a sense of belonging and importance and politics, like religion, affords us the ability to bond with thousands of others at a time simply by agreement or acquiescence. Many only want to grab onto the ‘winners’ never wishing to be associated with minorities. Others, always skeptical of the mob mentality, deliberately side with underdogs no matter how weak the position may be. For many of these people, there are social and emotional needs to be fulfilled. I’m not saying they don’t have rational concerns, but their high ‘valency’ appears symptomatic of a personal issue. These are the ‘free radicals’ of politics.

What About Me?

Sometimes I wonder if all this rambling about others is nothing more than describing those character traits I’d like prefer not to see in myself. I suppose that’s always going to be true to some extent, since we are dealing with human nature and last I checked, I was just as human as the next fellow, if not a little more so at times. I am not, however, as social as others and I am definitely willing to point out the problems of my allies as forcefully as I would my opponents. Blind allegiances are not my thing. I have a low ‘valency’ in that respect. I do not require the approval of others when forming my opinions and, as fate would have it, I seldom get any.

Does that make me a man of high principles? No. I don’t really think in those terms anymore. The vigorous idealism of youth has been replaced with the practical pragmatism of working smarter and not harder. Shouting and marching has been replaced by diplomacy and mutual understanding (unless you spam this blog), compassion, and the appeal to the basic human needs that unify all of us. Slogans let the world know we are here, but good explanations and close fellowship allow people to hear our message, internalize the message, and come to understand the consequence of it. The message must be more than audible; it must become understood. Both are necessary.

My internal dialectic may remain constant, but the approach has thankfully softened. This electron has found a cluster and, for the fore-seeable future, is staying away from the outer shells and orbits. Come on in for a visit!

“A radical is man with two feet firmly planted…in the air.” (Franklin Delano Roosevelt, radio address 1939)