Several months ago while a casual conversation, I was described by man as being a radical.
Interpretation Teeth
When he first said it I didn't know either I should laugh or be offended. It never quite dawned on me until then that my standing up against spiritual homophobia, writing a gay spiritual book and producing and hosting a national black gay Tv talk show would qualify me for radical status, but apparently in the minds of some it has.
Prior to this singular conversation, my reasoning belief of radicalism or the word radical represented outdated images of white women burning their bras in protest of whatever male dominated or population chaining themselves to century old oak trees.
So now I asked myself, what exactly is a radical? Is it man who marches down the street shouting, screaming, and decrying the injustices of the day? Or is it man who commits outrageous acts of protest capturing his/her 3 minutes of fame on the evening news?
And how exactly does a radical mind think? Does it wake up every morning considered to rock the boat of society? Or does a radical mind intentionally try to kick in the front teeth of the status quo just for kicks?
In reality I believe that the face, the voice, and the causes of radicalism are as diverse as mankind itself. After giving much belief and investigate on the matter, I now have a much stronger understanding of what is and what is not a radical or radicalism.
Standing up for oneself does not necessarily make one a radical. Even standing up against an entire practice or society (i.e homophobic church or heterosexual majority) doesn't all the time make one a radical either. The act of standing up is but one component of radicalism.
Screaming, shouting, and protesting the injustices of the day does not make one a radical either. Although America still vividly remembers the 1960's Civil ownership and Vietnam War images of protests as clear examples of radicalism, I legitimately counter that marching down a city street, chaining oneself to a tree or a building isn't exactly a definition of radicalism but more of a symbolic act of it.
After deeper analysis, I have come to the windup that what makes one a radical are the following components:
1. When a man mentally and emotionally rejects all that they know to be true about their existing reality, existing life and of the existing society which surround them and then begins to critically think and re-think all things that has been programmed into them (i.e homophobia, racism, sexism, etc); this becomes the first major step towards radicalism.
You see, radical minded population daily reject the status quo and express their lives accordingly. Even further, although they may respect authority, radical minded population still inquire its use and/or misuse. But most importantly, radical minded population are important thinkers.
Radicals just don't wake up one morning and settle to overthrow a government. It often takes many years of self-analysis, reflection, prayer, meditation, dialogue, and investigate before the ultimate stand against the status quo legitimately occurs. Hence, important analysis is a major key to becoming a radical.
2. Radical minded population seek personal freedoms, either it's the freedom to own property, to vote, marry, run for communal office, or to way communal services. The act of being denied, restrained, impaired, or hindered is the octane fuel which drives the race of freedom. Hence, radicalism is driven by the inherent desire to be free.
Examples of past American concepts of radicalism contain the abolitionist movement, feminism struggle, civil ownership era, and now the gay ownership fight for equal security as well as the right and the freedom to marry.
Just as slaves did not have any personal freedoms, women did not have the right to vote, and any generations later blacks were still fighting for full equality under the U.S. Constitution; the theme which runs similar in all of these instances is "freedom." The desire to be free. Further, radical minded population not only seek their own personal freedoms, they also seek freedoms for others even at the cost of retaliation against themselves.
3. Contrary to popular belief, radical minded population are legitimately very sick person people. communal movements can take many years to build and to execute. A true radical understands that revolutions and evolutions within society do not occur overnight or within the next calendar year.
Hence, radical minded population are strategic thinkers as well as important thinkers. They strategically and critically correlate the communal changes which must take place and then move transmit in multiple ways, methods, and fashions to perform it.
4. Finally, radical minded population understand that it legitimately isn't about them per se, but instead they recognize and understand that its about allowing a greater power, a greater plan, and a greater pathway to flow though their existence into a glorious fruition.
Radical minded population accept that they might not legitimately reap the total rewards and benefits of their efforts, but instead understand that each and every generation which follows them will. Thus radicals are the communal architects which build, construct, and solidify a new world order for the entirety of mankind.
So when I reflect upon this interpretation of what it means to be a radical and in my case, a gay radical, then I proudly sign up for the label and all that goes with it. To be the convert that is needed, to be catalyst which ignites, and to be the finger of the hand of God which moves its divine will throughout the policy of time is more than adequate payoff for me. So I'm hanging on for the ride!
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