Divisiveness and disunity are fatal to a vibrant republic. Woven into our nation’s fabric are fundamental systems that encourage unique perspectives and a vibrant political discourse, encouraging the plurality of opinions while charting a singular course forward.
“Out of many, one.” From a multitude of opinions, beliefs, backgrounds, and convictions, the United States has emerged as a model for thriving government around the world. America is a light to the world, and not by accident. America is strong because we have intertwining bonds of faith: faith in ourselves, faith in the rule of law, and faith in the process.
But increasingly, it has become resoundingly apparent that the politics of hatred and contempt have never been more in vogue. We no longer operate in a political arena that encourages a healthy struggle between the Left and the Right. Progressives increasingly do not want to debate, work, or interact with my colleagues or me on my side of the aisle. In their eyes, we are not their colleagues; we are the enemy. Everything we stand for is intolerant, even if our arguments are grounded in reason and science.
Modern-day progressivism is a philosophy of intellectual weakness. Progressives live in a bubble in which they are never challenged, forced to rethink their priors, or encounter a contradictory argument. Hollywood, social media, Big Tech, sports, and legacy media all are outposts of the progressive empire. (If you doubt that, imagine a world in which a football player took a knee to end abortion, or a celebrity used their awards moment to call for global opposition to socialism.)
Progressives are protected from the natural rough and tumble of politics because their entire cultural ecosystem has been built to spare their feelings. That lack of exposure makes their mindset brittle. They are unable to face criticism with composure.
Politics for many on the Left has become a religion. Human beings are hardwired to see the world in ethical, eschatological, and teleological terms. When society retreats from religion, the void is often unconsciously filled with humanism and post-modernism. Where else can a society devoid of faith and religion turn to except themselves and their own sociopolitical inclinations?
Revolutionary ardor, wokeness, and its derivatives now function as substitutes for religion with ideas of confession, original sin, saints, and utopia. Too many progressives occupying the commanding heights of our culture operate with cruel fanaticism. Modern progressive ideology calls its followers to “be on the right side of history,” replacing the fear of God with the fear of being in bad historical odor.
Progressives prophesy a secular apocalypse to justify bad behavior.
Ultimately, conservatives are standing in the way of progressives’ will to power and their utopian dreams. To progressives, no conservative is legitimate because progressives are the rightful holders of power. It is why California Gov. Gavin Newsom, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and others felt no compulsion to follow the restrictions they placed on their constituents.
To be a conservative is to recognize that ultimately, progress is possible, but utopia is not. This posture of humility is infuriating to those who believe they can shape reality to their liking or recreate humanity by social engineering. Progressives refuse to learn the lesson of the Tower of Babel, and conservatives must continually remind them. Conservatives believe in the inherent flaws of men and constructing systems that manage our brokenness for human flourishing. Progressives believe in the inherent flaws of systems and the perfectibility of man. Conservatism begins in tragedy, but progressivism ends in it.
They hate us because we are in the way. I reject the politics of hate because I refuse to privilege politics over people. I represent a district of Republicans, independents, and Democrats. We somehow manage to live together and disagree without being disagreeable.
I refuse to let politics make my neighbors my enemies.
Madison Cawthorn represents North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
