In a not so distant past, I was registered as a Republican. My primary motivation for that choice was to protect and fight for my right to bear arms. I saw being a member of the Democratic Party as counterproductive to that right.
While registered as a Republican, I began hosting a talk show where I covered many topics, from gun rights to poverty in our minority communities. I spoke out against crime in our streets and condemned criminal behavior, and at that time, I was considered to be in good standing.
Even as a Republican, I stood mostly on the left when it came to social issues. I defended our gay brothers and sisters, supported a woman’s right to choose, backed immigration reform, and acknowledged that racism is very real. Despite being a Republican, I never stopped being Latino. But then, suddenly, that good standing began to shift.
Some time ago, I realized I was not truly a Republican. I am a patriot who loves this nation, but even patriots can see her faults. When I speak out about those faults, it seems I am no longer appreciated.
I live here. This is my home. I defended it by wearing the uniform. But I have grown, I have learned, and I acknowledge that my country is not perfect. This doesn’t make me anti-American; it makes me honest. Honesty isn’t always comfortable.
I am not calling for America to be torn down. This is my home. I am calling for change, fairness, and equality. To those who benefit from inequality and hold power through it, this call for change might feel like a challenge to the America they know.
Today, I am not affiliated with either of the two major political parties. My vote did not count in our primary because of that, and I had no choice but to watch as the nation decided between two options that many found less than ideal.
One day, history will look back on us the way we look back on great civilizations of the past and analyze how the American era unfolded. We are nowhere near as old as some of those civilizations were, and yet we may already be approaching a significant turning point.
Standing up and speaking out on what is right does not make you less of a person. It makes you who you are. In the past, I wrote and said many things, some I regret and some I still believe. But if you gain new information and refuse to reconsider your beliefs, that is truly a missed opportunity. There is no shame in learning, growing, and evolving your views. The real concern is in learning yet choosing to remain unchanged. I have learned, and with that, I have grown. This is who I am today.
To some, that means I am not the person they thought I was. And that is okay with me.
That’s okay.. Just do you.. You do you…