If yesterday's thought has evolved into today's thought, and if today's thought evolves into tomorrow's thought, and if in every today we are condemnatory of yesterday's thought, would it not be more expeditious to condemn today's thought today? Would it not be more honest and forthright to admit our ignorance and to expend some effort, (otherwise exerted toward conservative justification), toward more progressive thought and action. By definition, progressive is forward and conservative is traditional. To be forward-looking is to be energized, enlightened, dynamic. To be traditional is to be guarded, conventional, constant. To vivify? Or stultify? There should be an understanding of the difference between yesterday’s thought, today’s thought, and tomorrow’s thought.

Today we condemn individuals for yesterday's actions. Yet yesterday's actions were borne of yesterday's thought. Yes, yesterday's thought has evolved into today's thought, but yesterday it was today's thought; as a result, many (seemingly logically) ask, can you blame someone for actions that were (at the time) consistent with thought? I might argue, (that to be expeditious), one's acts should be borne of tomorrow's (more progressive) thought. I might also argue that one who justifies yesterday's acts because at the time it was today is equating thoughts with acts, excusing wrongdoing, perpetuating constraint, impeding progress. There should be a difference, (a very clear, definitive delineation), between thoughts and acts.

There is a difference between history and tradition. History is (theoretically) a fact in the past; something to study and learn from. Tradition is an interpretation of personal history as it relates to a bigger picture. Tradition implies an effort to clothe today in the self-styled trappings of yesterday. When one argues that progressive thought threatens our history, they are in actuality arguing for personal comfort, often in the form of traditional power structures and inequality. Though one can mislabel something as a fact, one cannot argue an actual fact, of the past or otherwise. So, history (as an actual fact) is not (and cannot be) threatened by any type of thought. Tradition is (and should be) threatened by progressive thought. There is a difference between history and tradition.

Is conservative thought always geared for comfort? And is progressive thought always uncomfortable? Take the political implications away, and because the one more frequently espouses status quo and the other more frequently champions change, it does appear that consideration of one’s comfort may have an impact on one’s direction of thought; especially if one is comfortable or was previously comfortable and is fearful of becoming less so. Change is inevitable. Fear is futile in the face of inevitability. Yet fear drives conservative thought, conservative thought slows change, and (according to Fact-Based science) change made too slowly will be the death of us all. My greatest fear is conservative thought. Comfort today? Or existence tomorrow? I believe that this progression from yesterday’s comfort to today’s discomfort to tomorrow’s inevitability is natural and necessary. I believe that when yesterday was today, this progression was interpreted accordingly. In this regard, in conservative thought there is no difference between yesterday and today; in progressive thought the difference (between yesterday and today) is an ever-increasing acknowledgement of fear properly placed.

Progressive thought is expansive. Progressive thought creates possibility. Conservative thought is oppressive. Conservative thought pretends. Progressive thought is reasoned uncertainty. Conservative thought is delusional certainty. There are many progressive Republicans and there are many traditional Democrats. In order to begin healing, we must see our dividedness in terms and within contexts beyond right and left or red and blue. In order to survive, we must better understand this difference between progressive thought, conservative thought and political affiliation, and we must better understand the difference between yesterday’s thought, today’s thought, and tomorrow’s thought, and we must recognize the difference between thoughts and acts, and we must consider the difference between history and tradition, and we must acknowledge fear, and we must agree upon what to be afraid of. In order to survive…