Identity Politics is Politics

Identity politics has recently become scrutinized in the media by alleged political pundits.  The disdain that has been generated is that identity politics should not be going on and there should be a return to broader understandings of public policies and services in our lawmaking practices.  This is complete bullshit and the people who advocate for the end of identity politics have no clue what they are talking about.  Identity politics is politics, that is.  There is no other proper way to address governmental concerns or legislation in the United States or in other contemporary cultures.  Think about it.  These types of redresses have been going since the inception of democracy and especially during the evolution of government in the United States.  The reason is because there is power in numbers.  Groups retain and deliver more power than a single person or a few people attempting to hinder poor lawmaking.  The above-mentioned people who attempt to debunk identity politics typically point the finger at the feminists, anti-hate speech advocates, criminal justice reformists, the LGBTQ community, and, recently, the gun control supporters.  Yet, the same critics of identity politics cannot seem to grasp the concept that they are participating in identity politics when they advocate for whatever broader understanding of public policy work and lawmaking they desire.  It makes them look ridiculous and like complete hypocrites. 

When the United States formed, early Americans grouped together to produce a better government and quality of life, when slavery was on the brink of elimination, there was a civil war that created two large groups, when Jim Crow activities were present, minorities conjoined together to express their disdain and create better laws and relationships between themselves and others, when females wanted to vote and have their reproductive rights retained and acquired, they grouped together and made an impact in society, when criminal justice activists call for reforms, there are millions of people who conjoin to express their grievances, when victims and witnesses of gun violence want their government to pass better laws so that society is better, they group together and share their concerns with the public and lawmakers.  Not to mention the many other groups that have performed similar actions in human history.  So, what is the problem with identity politics?  There is none.  Lawmakers and other public officials have a tendency to dismiss claims if they are only being presented by a few individuals, but when large groups turn out to present their woes, the same lawmakers tend to listen more and, in many cases, have no choice but to listen and act on the issues that are being presented to them.  So, once more, what is the problem with identity politics? 

The problem is that individuals who blast these group-based tendencies usually do not condone the grievances that are being presented and, in turn, attempt to slander identity politics in a manner that does not fully bring up their bigotry, stupidity, and other prejudices in a full-blown manner.  Political correctness and spin, that is.  In other words, it is insecurities coming to light and, in most cases, a bias toward a specific cause or group because of the disliking of the differences by the critic and participants of whatever identity politics that has been manifested.  There is no excuse to attempt to hinder a politically motivated group of people who share a similar idea so that they can live a better life.  It is how our democracy was created and sustained for so many years.  Still disagree, identity politics critics?  Make sure you remind yourself of the hypocrisy that this author mentioned when you and other like-minded people express your dissent toward identity politics toward a national and international audience.  Hypocrisy, hypocrisy, hypocrisy!  

Photo Credit:  Benjamin J. Bolton