78: Why ’Radical’ and Not Just ’Moderate’

There is no great credit to remaining "above" the myopia of liberal v. conservative politics, if you aren't willing to stand.  Too often, a so-called moderate position is simply a way of avoiding issues and not engaging.  The "radical" side is pushing for change, whether it be a moderating influence on those firmly entrenched in right- or left-wing politics, or trying to lead the rest to think more critically about what each side has to say.  Martin Luther King, Jr. gave us one of the best challenges to status-quo centrism in his 1963 letter from jail in Birmingham, Alabama.  Failing to heed these words will continue to bear strange and unwanted fruit in our society. Different Drummer: Billie Holiday