On Meeting in the Middle...

I’m afraid I’m scaring off my Liberal friends. I don’t mean to, but I live in a largely Liberal city with very Liberal ideals and I confess I’m not exactly Liberal myself. Apparently, non-Liberals are perceived by Liberals as being Conservative. Conversely, when I lived in Montana among Conservatives, they considered me Liberal because I am not Conservative.

Apparently it’s difficult to see a middle ground when one hangs out in extremes and is pushed by our two-party system (and a frenetic media) to embrace polarity. But I, like many other invisible Americans, hang out in the middle…on a patch of middle real estate. I’m a Moderate, or possibly a Libertarian—depending on the definitions.

Check these out—when you have some time to spare:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moderate

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertarianism

In a nutshell, I’m socially liberal and economically conservative. My political philosophy could be loosely summed up as “Live and Let Live.” I believe strongly in personal responsibility and my biggest frustration with Liberals and Conservatives is how both wish to control and judge others; while making the assumption that people can’t (or won’t) look after their own selves.

Another thing about Moderates; we don’t swallow every party line, every statistic, every news story as if they are absolute truths. We question everything. Everything. Yeah, even global warming, recycling, racism, and “One Nation Under God” are up for debate. Bring it on.

If I have any political mission, it’s to get people to think critically…not just blindly following the herd. If your position is sound and you stand by your beliefs, there should be no need for defensiveness, scorn, or avoidance. It should be OK to look at all angles.

My husband tells a story about a guy who couldn’t do this:

“I took an undergrad supply & logistics class at PSU and one of my group mates was from Yemen. He was Muslim and I remember that he also played Spanish guitar. Anyway, at some point we were discussing electives and philosophy class came up. He said that he signed up for philosophy class and enjoyed it for a while but then realized that it was causing him to question his religious beliefs and it made him uncomfortable so he dropped it…He didn’t want to expose himself to these other ways of thinking.”

How sad to be so threatened by information that one is afraid to even look at differing beliefs or challenging questions. How sad to be so caught up in one way of being that you simply can’t allow yourself to open up to other ways…or even to just understand them.

Aren’t you sick of polarity? Aren’t you sick of being the puppets of rich politicians and lobbyists who love to make you hate each other (Red vs Blue: The Uncivil War)? Don’t you think it benefits powerful people & businesses (including powerful foreign interests) to have you so divided into two opposite factions who rely on stereotypes and hearsay; rather than cold hard reason? Do you really believe half of the US is evil or stupid? Common… Stop being sheep, stop categorically hating each other, and start talking (and listening)… calmly, rationally, without defensiveness and name-calling.

The middle is messy. The middle does not have a clear purpose, agenda or assumptions. The middle takes energy and requires effort. The middle requires you to open up and explore...to believe in the good intentions of others and try to understand other points of view. Come roll around with me in the middle…get dirty and let go.