I’m a Values Voter. Aren’t You?

In this election season, editorials seem to pound hard on the difference between “Values” voters (usually conservative Republicans) and others. But, really, are any of us willing to be considered “Valueless” voters? What happens when we allow only one group to claim such a name? And, in some situations, to usurp the name for values we don’t agree with? Can we reclaim our true heritage and call out for the values that we stand for and that we wish everyone would stand for? Can we, in the process, stand up for some values that we all can agree on, rather than focusing on those that polarize us? What might those values be? And after we identify them, can we challenge one another to think carefully about how to live them out, without imposing our choices on others?

For instance, “The Golden Rule” might be the first we could all agree to. Some rendition of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” has been around since Aristotle in every major religion and philosophy. It seems to me that it has pretty good credibility as a value that we all ought to stand squarely in the center of. What might it mean to seek fully live out the Golden Rule? Well, most of us want people to respect us – our words, our choices, our actions – and to behave with respect toward us in their words and action. So it stands to reason that we ought to respect others if we are to treat others as we wish to be treated. Most of us also want people to act kindly toward us, reaching out to us when we are in need, helping us when they can, and not treating us meanly. So, choosing to do the same for others would also fit within The Golden Rule.

Justice seems closely related to respect and kindness – that is, it doesn’t seem fair to treat some people kindly and respectfully without treating others the same way. We want to be treated fairly, and so we ought to also treat others fairly. We ought to figure out how to resolve justly the inevitable conflicts that arise. Understandably, if we have been mistreated, it may be harder to behave kindly and respectfully in response. But even if we eliminate those situations, that still leaves plenty of opportunity for being fair toward others.

Being kind and just also seems to include taking on our share of responsibilities. That is, we need to take care of ourselves, our family members, and our property. We need to keep our commitments, carrying out the jobs that we are responsible for when we are responsible to do so. We want others to keep their commitments to us, or to be responsible toward us, doing what they have promised. We don’t want to bear the whole load of family or workplace or community responsibilities. Responsibility means people working together to take on their fair share and to follow through. Without carrying out our responsibilities, other people will have to pick up them up or spend money to fix what we have failed to do; neither of which seems fair.

Further, if we fail in our responsibilities, others will not find us trustworthy – they may consider us undependable or childish. They will simply stop depending on us because we have shown that we do not consistently behave well or do the right thing. And, in addition, when we combine responsibility and kindness or caring, it seems relatively obvious that we will need to give back to our communities some of what we have received, will need to take care of our communities, and will, as a result, offer some of what we have to those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in great need. And this we might call citizenship, or giving back.

The “Character Counts!” community considers some rendition of these five character traits to be the building blocks of their “values” agenda. But I find that it also takes wisdom to know when to do what to whom. And it takes courage to actually act on that wisdom, particularly in the face of opposition or when we might lose something that matters to us if we do act. I think it takes a strong sense of self and self control not to lash out at others when we are frustrated or angered by injustice or the lack of responsibility in others; as well as to have the backbone to act on what we believe.

And although there are some values that so-called conservative Republican “Values Voters” espouse that others will disagree strongly with, would anyone disagree with the need for these ten values? I am sure we can think of other important values; but as a minimum, can we stand up for these? Can we make a conscious effort to evaluate each of our actions each day on the basis of whether we are shooting for the optimal with respect to these values? Can we get out of a reactive mode into a more proactive stance, advocating that everyone in our families and workplaces and communities at least try to live out these values? Can we expect the others around us to commit to these values, and can we encourage them and ask them to encourage us to do the same? If we can, then I think we reclaim our positions as “Values Voters,” even if we are not Republican, conservative, or Christian. The question is, will we?