Obama in Bohemia!
While living in East Texas, I found a home among East Texas’ progressive underground, a unique blend of neo-Bohemians, punks, artists and emo kids. Though small, it was a vibrant community that encouraged artistic expression, personal liberties, and a general sense of rebellion against all the cultural stereotypes attached to East Texas. We went to shows, put on plays, attended political rallies and staged walk outs. We sat around talking religion, politics and the virtues of a vegan diet.
Through all of this, I evolved from a staunch Republican to a borderline socialist. I worshiped the Beats, the ultimate Bohemians–men and women who lived life on their own terms, men and women who valued individual liberties and community. I aimed to live my life like these men and women; I aimed to live my life as a symbolic middle finger to the rules of conformity.
Today, I still read Ginsberg and Kerouac and I still listen to Bad Religion and The Smiths, but I find myself drawn back to the Republican Party. I look at neo-Bohemians across the great land, a majority of whom have cast their lot with Barack Obama, and I shake my head in disbelief. In his most simple form, Barack Obama represents everything Bohemia rejected, everything the Beats railed against and everything the punks cursed.
Though verbose and affable, Obama promotes a massive expansion of our Federal government, a Federal government that would no doubt exert more control over the individual, be it positive or negative. All these great movements that comprise progressive communities rely on communities of minimal control. By backing a political candidate who supports expansion of powers and control, one would be betraying these very basic truths.
Further, a vocal opposition engenders an environment of creativity and activism. More than once, I’ve made the point that I would end up in a fight in a room full of Republicans and I would have a great time in a room full of Democrats; however, I plan on voting for John McCain in the Fall. He represents the foil of the neo-Bohemian. This foil inspires the Bohemian to create and react, which in turn gives us movements like the Beat Generation. In short, without McCain, what would there be to rebel against?
My days of extreme rebellion are waning. While some may say I’ve sold out, I like to think that I have “bought in.” I still admire the people I met during my days in the undeground and what they represent, but I’ve grown older along the way and now I’ve traded in some of the youthful idealism for some realism.
