It became abundantly clear this past week that I was very isolated from the conservative side of America. Sure I live in New York and New Jersey which are fairly liberal, and I know several conservatives, but I’ve surrounded myself with liberals and subtly liberal media most of my life without even realizing it. It wasn’t until someone pointed it out that it made sense, that the geek culture, or whatever you’d like to call it, is predominantly liberal. I have been a part of the culture and the communities that compose it since I was a child, and continue to pursue those interests, but in the process I’ve picked up on a few values and ideologies that didn’t manifest until it was time for me to take my stance and find myself.
Truth be told, the people in these communities, whether I met them in real life or talked to them over a random forum online, they are much different from me in countless ways. What inevitably bonds us is a passion for a game, a book, an old cartoon, a brilliant story, a desire to become better, and/or other things. It’s those ties through the same material, media and entertainment that initiated our conversation and friendships, yet it is also the same things that influenced us as we grew into adults and continue to grow as people.
I’ll give a few personal examples such as the Pokemon community. The game franchise is a widescale success and was the defining feature of many of our childhoods. For some it was fun for a few years, and for many of us like me, it made a lasting impression and connection on a heartfelt level. Most of the people I’ve had the opportunity to meet and talk to who grew into adulthood with these games carry with them the values of genuine friendship, compassion, respect, and a love of all lives from any place and any walk of life. While it’s just a game and only that to some, for many of us it paved the way to becoming better people and provided a basic outline on being a good person that emphasizes becoming better and creating loving communities.
Comic books are another great example. While movies are mainstream, and the cartoons are a middle-ground, the actual comics are quite consistent in their message. What most people may not know is that comic books simply adapt to the world around them. Ever since their conception, stories about these extraordinary heroes have been fueled by social, economic and political issues. It directly confronts the issues of racism, hate, corruption, liberty, fear and acceptance head on in a plethora of different angles, perspectives and situations so that in some way, shape or form, readers both learn and take what they can from the messsage, no matter what walk of life they lead. You can learn a lot by what a person reads, and more often than not, comic book fans have in some way shaped themselves through the lessons they learned in these stories, and those ideals resonate in their character and, inevitably, their politics.
One last example I’ll give is the E-sports community, a large group of people who play an array of video games competitively for fun, growth, and even money. What makes this group of people so special is the passion they have to compete and a desire to meet new challengers, no matter the distance. Players travel across the world, from the Unites States to Japan, from Singapore to France, from Canada to South America, and even Saudi Arabia to the United States. This community is driven by all of its people, but especially those that make the commitment and investment into becoming world warriors. No matter where they are from or what they believe, they are accepted. They add heart to the game and form friendships and rivalries that are life-long. This connection to the world and its cultures is unique and plays integral role in how they perceive the world, its laws and its governments.
These are just a few personal examples but they deliver a clear message. Geeks, nerds, or whatever you want to call these passionate people are greatly influenced by what they love that, more often than not, are rooted in liberal ideals. Of course many of these ideals are socially liberal and not fiscally liberal, but the extension is often made. Personally it’s something I’m proud of, that countless different people living in countless different conditions are connected by one passion and they carry similar values because of that. Some might twist the argument to say the entertainment we’ve been exposed to is childish, that people need to grow up, some conservatives might even find a way to make it about people being snowflakes as many love to do, but the proof is undeniable, and that is that diverse communities with passions that embrace love and equality will inescapably walk a path of life with similar values and perspectives.
