Imperfect Allies

Monday, I posted my piece on BlueSky Why a Progressive Quaker cares who is Pope after Francis. Responses, while mostly positive, did have a consistent, very valid, thread that the church and Pope Francis failed on LBGTQ+ rights, abortion, and child abuse.

Progressives each have a set of injustices to resist, but at the root of all is the privilege to commit them.

One commenter asked me to consider that “The harm of the Catholic Church—upheld by this pope—is also real.” My answer was dismissive. Not by design, but through not hearing the question. I explicated my piece instead of answering the call for justice within the question. This is, I hope, a better response

The path to progressivism is a fight against privilege—those who use cultural and legal advantages to benefit from exploiting and marginalizing others. This social control exerted by privilege against others by gender, sexuality, ethnicity and class inflicts tangible painful experiences. Progressives each have a set of injustices to resist, but at the root of all is the privilege to commit them.

As we unite as progressives, our experience with privilege is an issue. For myself, a straight, white pass-with-red-hat-at-gun-show guy, injured solely by class, I am only a target as far as I show myself. Some act on guilt for having privilege while never being harmed by it. Many have more painful and dangerous roads to travel as oppressed keys to social control and cannot avoid injury. Then consider organizations like the Catholic Church able to serve privileged and the oppressed at the same time. Labor unions which protect workers, but have racist history and Trump voting members today. Environmental causes have elite roots to nature for the wealthy as well as a record of people livelihoods—like coal miners.

So, as a movement against privilege, we are comprised of people and organizations with a range of injures, different experiences in resisting, and varied histories of collaborating with it. We carry our petty squabbles and prejudices about each other as well. So how best to contend with our differences and better attend to the raw injuries allies have suffered, all while maintaining coalitions broad enough to challenge privilege?

One day, we will cease to govern with exertions of power, but through the expression of love. On that day, privilege will end. Until that day, we must accumulate allies who oppose privilege

“Do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” Most see this as pursuing a perfect outcome keeps you from finishing a good project. In this context, it could be read as stop complaining about what is wrong and just get something done. But this particular meaning is not quite how the line began its life nor is it what I intend.

Voltaire wrote this in a poem titled La Begueule. Arsène, dissatisfied with her loving husband, caring friends and overall comfortable existence wants, instead, a perfect life. Unhappy with lack of perfection, she denigrates everything. Eventually her fairy godmother takes her away to grand places but, ultimately, nothing met her perfect standard while she lost everything good. For Voltaire, judging others imperfect keeps you from connecting with the Good.

Born from substantial injuries to petty disregard, progressives judge each other, often harshly. You say the Catholic Church is unjust and I say on most matters it is with progressives. You say unions were racist and today loaded with Trump voters and I say most union members are people of color. While all statements are true, none may be helpful. You may place a penumbra around my words outside my intent, while I fail to regard your injury fully in response. Our own judgements in search for the perfect may benefit the privileged far more than us.

One day, we will cease to govern with exertions of power, but through the expression of love. On that day, privilege will end. Until that day, we must accumulate allies who oppose privilege. Along this path, we can be critical and challenging of each other. Call out past injustice and fight for change within an ally to improve us all. But for this day to arrive, separating from the Good to seek the perfect only brings delay.