March 25, 2008 at 19:39:18

A Call For A Progressive Values Summit

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By Edwin Rutsch (about the author) Page 1 of 2 page(s)

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For OpEdNews: Edwin Rutsch - Writer

'At the core of every movement is a set of values that propels it forward.'

The Christian Conservatives held their Values Voter Summit on Oct 19-21 in Washington D.C. and around 2000 people attended. The Values Voter Summit, promoting Faith, Family and Freedom, is the largest conservative event of it's kind. All 9 major Republican presidential candidates showed up and fell all over each other professing how they were more conservative than the next guy.

The conservatives have been and continue to be very successful in taking over the word "Values". I did a Google news search on "Values Voter Summit" and it brought up over 1,000 news articles that mention the event. That's a lot of press reinforcing the notion that conservatives have some sort of a lock on "Values." Here is another example of how they do it. They title their conference "Values Summit" and their organizations "American Values", as if they are the only ones who have values. This gets echoed thought the press and reinforced in peoples minds.

Conservatives are continuing to do battle in the values arena. In one of their brochures on the website, they ask, "Whose Values will Prevail in 2008?"(pdf).

So what are progressives doing about this?

A Progressive Values Summit - Confront them Head On

How about next year progressives hold a "Progressive Values Summit" down the street from the Conservative Values Summit? It would help the media and in turn the country, to see the contrast between conservative and progressive values. It would piggy back on the conservatives media coverage and give the media something to talk about. The media likes a bit of conflict and a horse race, so let's give it to them. We could also launch a "Failed Conservative Values" campaign to point out how true conservative values have failed and how positive progressive values are the alternative.

Here's my questions that I posed for the Nov 28, republican CNN/youtube debate.
Values Voters: Have Conservative Values Failed?

CNN Youtube GOP Debate Question: Conservative failed Values
CNN Youtube GOP Debate Question 2: Questioning your Values?
CNN Youtube GOP Debate Question 3: question authority?

The Progressive Values Alternative on ProgressiveSpirit.com
What are Progressive Values? Documentary Project & Study Group
230 video clips about Progressive Values on Youtube

In summary
What Are Progressive Values? 50 Responses

Let's show how it's not a Values Voters Summit, but a Conservative Values Summit and how there is a Progressive alternative.

Show how it's not Family Values that Conservatives are promoting, but Conservative Family Values of; authoritarianism, hierarchy, self-righteousness, hypocrisy, secrecy, intolerance, close-mindedness, etc
Contrast this to Progressive Family values; of caring, community, empathy, justice, nurture, openness, tolerance, etc. http://rockridgeinstitute.org/...

Show how it's not Traditional Values that Conservatives are promoting, but Traditional Conservative Values. Again those of; authoritarianism, hierarchy, secrecy, intolerance, close-mindedness, etc.

Show how it's not freedom and faith they support, but conservative definitions of faith and freedom and again that there is a progressive faith and freedom alternative based on; caring, community, empathy, justice, nurture, openness, tolerance, etc. http://whosefreedom.com

What do you think? Should progressives hold a Progressive Values Summit to directly counter the Conservative Values Voter Summit?

Here's more on the Conservative Values Voter Summit.
FRC Action Washington Briefing Event Website

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