(no subject)

[sev]

"The personal is the political."

what do those words mean to you?

Comments

[mothball-07.livejournal.com]

That acts close to my life, such as being unapologetically out about who I am, are important. Likely more important than attending a rally or writing my congress-swine. I think I affect more voters, for example, by letting my friends know I do not fit their relationship norm, than I ever might by holding a sign. People tend to dismiss rallys of "others" when they will stop and consider a friend saying the same thing quietly and by example. It can also be more dangerous, though. You can't hide in the anonymity of a large group. You are revealing yourself to people 'close' to you. Sometimes that hurts, as I've been reminded all to recently. It takes courage to make the personal the political, because by definition you're putting *yourself* out there in a way that you may or may not as a traditional activist.

I have come to believe this more and more strongly as I've aged. Being politically active in the more traditional way was *fun* when I was younger (or, more relevantly, had more time) but I think that the things I've done close to home - the food I choose to prepare, the way I conduct my relationships, the things I discuss with my kids and friends - those are where real change happens in the world.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

That almost every aspect of my life can be affected by political forces.

In democracy, it's also the rule that "all politics is local"; care about your constituency on a personal level if you want to succeed.

[kightp.livejournal.com]

What I do in my small, private life can have big impacts on the larger, public world. Everything from how I vote to what I buy and how I treat other people matters in a greater social context.

[j5nn5r.livejournal.com]

Some things that come to mind are when:

Who we are becomes a target of those that wish to use the force of law to make us conform to their personal beliefs.

Personal religion is used as a basis for legislation.

Personal differences of opinion are not recognized as such, but used as a reason to weild power over others, be it personally or virtually. In other words, "shut up (or I will make you) because I don't like your opinion."

When something matters enough that you take a stand, even if it costs you personally.

[beaq.livejournal.com]

What happens between people on a private or personal level is not only political by definition, but reflects and affects the wider political realm.

[mhw.livejournal.com]

Every action has its consequences. Whatever I do, whatever I choose, whatever I write or say, has its effects on people. It's the argument against the "Why bother being active about anything? I'm too small to make any difference" position.

[firecat]

It's disingenuous to pretend that what one does and thinks in one's private life or among friends and family isn't relevant to the larger culture and the directions it's headed in.

What's inside your head, even (or especially) what might be less than fully conscious to you, does matter.

Also what the others said, but the way I phrased it above is what first comes to mind when I see the term. Things that others said I associate with phrases such as "Think globally, act locally" and such.

[jfarr.livejournal.com]

politics == the art and science of getting what you want

Even if "what you want" is entirely for the greater good... how could the personal *not* be the political or vice versa?