The price of convictions

What matters is not the idea a man holds,

but the depth at which he holds it.

~Ezra Pound

The topic of convictions has been floating around in my head lately and I thought it might make a good topic. So here goes... How strongly do you hold onto your convictions? Is there a situation where it is ok to let go of what you believe in so that you can gain what you really want?

There have been two incidents in the news this week where people have let go of their long standing convictions and that has really bugged me. I might not always agree with what you believe in, but if you are willing to stand up for your beliefs and defend them I can at least respect you. In these two cases I can't give them any respect. For the change that they adopted didn't come about because after much soul searching they realized their beliefs were wrong, instead they traded what they believed in for money and power.

First news broke that after years of a zero tolerance policy the boy scouts of America were contemplating removing their ban on homosexual scouts and scout leaders. At first I was thrilled by this news, I have long been a proponent of gay rights and have felt that the boy scouts were wrong to ban gays, but then I read more into it and found the real reason they are considering this huge departure from their previously stated beliefs. Money. Turns out after the statement the boy scouts of America released last year reaffirming the ban on gay scouts and leaders, there was both a public and financial backlash, and while the public outcry didn't cause them to bat an eye, the financial hit did. According to several board members that spoke to NBC news on condition of anonymity, it was this loss of sponsors that has caused the boy scouts to reconsider. I find this sad, if you think gays should be allowed in the boy scouts because its the right thing to do, then do it for that reason and that reason alone. If they remain "morally opposed" to gays as they said last year, then keep the ban and damn the consequences. You don't get to do both, your convictions shouldn't be for sale.

The second incident was the republican party changing their stance on immigration. The party of giant boarder walls, minute men, and self deportation, is now talking about comprehensive immigration reform and allowing a path to citizenship. Again I love the outcome, I believe that we should have immigration reform, and that reform must include a path to citizenship, but I find it frustrating that after years of being against it, the republicans are for it, not because it is the right thing to do, but for power. Last weekend many republicans took to the airwaves talking about how they couldn't be a "stupid" party, how if they wanted to remain relevant as a party they must change. They talked about how Barack Obama won 7 of 10 votes from Latino voters, if a republican wants to become president they can't overcome those kinds of numbers. So poof now the republican party is for helping illegal immigrants become citizens, just like that. They are willing to sacrifice their ideals for a chance at power, but if you are given that power, without convictions, how can you govern fairly?

These are but two examples of something that I am sure happens a thousand times a day, these groups do not have a monopoly on this, they are simply the ones that sparked this thought. How? How is this possible? I can't do it that's for sure. I can't auction my values to the highest bidder, or pretend to not be who I have always been long enough to be voted into power. I will question my beliefs, I will seek out other points of view, and if in that soul searching I find that I am in the wrong, then and only then will I change. If you truly want to make a difference in this world you must stand for something, you must believe in it with everything you have. For if you don't, if your values are empty shells that can be filled on a whim, then you are truly lost and you have my pity.

Troy Mangum