| Do you remember the middle? In our culture it is considered “courtesy” to not talk politics at parties and such. We are told not to talk politics with friends and such as it will spoil the mood and make friends into enemies. What a great tool to keep us ignorant and isolated! I like to talk politics. I like to hear what my friends are thinking and challenge myself. Much of the time I get uplifted and learn something. At least I think about something in a way I hadn’t before. But the one thing I have noticed more than ever before is that the middle is disappearing. People are very quick to draw the proverbial line in the sand and force an ultimatum. This is so weird to me being in the land of free expression and compromise. It doesn’t fit with the formation and maturation of our country. The middle frequently prevails and is almost always where our populous falls. Think of a bell curve. The middle is always the biggest and the more extreme you get, the smaller the portion of the population. Yet, I feel a flattening of this. I feel people fleeing the middle and taking up residence in the extremes. This is how civil wars ultimately start. A country divides along some ideological line and each side is zealously certain their side is right, just and infallible. They hurl insults at the other side and cease friendships. The flock to other extremists that serve to bolster their “rightness” and provide a confirmation bias. Suddenly (but yet slowly), we find the middle completely eroded and we have an inverse bell curve. And the stage is set. One major issue sets the population into chaos. I’m not saying that’s what’s going to happen. I am saying that is the chain of events that lead to the fall of a nation. And we have the ingredients. We have the voices, the means of distribution of those voices, the anxiety, the “enemies” for each side. We have the animosity and vitriol. We have the sides calling the opponents middle school names and insulting them. We also have each side calling the other “traitor” and things of that nature. Its all present. What to do? First, stop. Think. Who benefits from what you are about to say? How does it make our country stronger? What is a solution that involves us working together instead of proving one “side” wrong? Is there some kind of truth to what the other side is saying? Is it maybe even possible that both sides are right? Or wrong? Is it possible that there is no right or wrong, only preference? Next, GET OFF SOCIAL MEDIA!!!! For the love of our country, STOP spewing hatred into that cesspool. If you wouldn’t say it to their face, don’t say it on FB. Even if you would say it to their face, ask yourself if you should. Would your 6 year old get in trouble at school for saying what you are about to say? If we can’t have politicians be the unifiers, we need to be. Finally, have conversations IN PERSON. Sit down with people that think differently from you and ask questions. Seek understanding. Stop trying to “teach them” or “show them” your superior intellect. Be open to the fact that their life experiences and learning may teach you something. It is, in fact, possible. And for crying out loud, don’t break up a friendship over differences of opinion on what Washington should do. You and your friend are the losers in that scenario. Because I promise you, no one, on either side of the aisle, in Washington gives a crap about your friendship. But your community, your family, YOU need that friendship. I love yall. Even if I disagree with you. Have a great night. |
