Polarized World
Like so many people today, I spend a good amount of time trying to get a handle on what is happening in our polarized country. It seems that each party, each group, is attempting to foster hate and distrust of the others and the result… well the crazy people come out with violence to settle the score, the rest- well we have started looking at our neighbors with suspicion.
I don’t think our politicians are trying to incite a civil war in the United States of America, but I think they may accidentally be pushing everyone in that direction. To avoid that disaster, I propose that we seek agreement with our neighbors. We need one another to put out fires, to defend our right to disagree, and to bounce ideas and figure out which ones go splat.
Republicans come up with bad ideas, with a few valid points. Democrats come up with bad ideas with a few valid points, the rest of us hold onto our families, houses, and cars and wonder if we can afford to buy something new. We live day to day, struggling to milk out happiness and joy while all those rich guys argue over which old person will be left to die, which new mom will put her babies to bed hungry, who will come into our country and who will be thrown out. We need to pay attention, but we don’t need to fight with our neighbors.
I don’t know about you, but we need to vote for people who protect our interests. Who is going to make insurance affordable? Obtainable? What about government assistance? If you need it, don’t vote against it. Should disaster relief (FEMA) be paid for or should it be a political football? Do you support public education or should we dismantle and defund the system? Those are your opinions and you are entitled to them and I am entitled to mine.
Do you want cops to be brutal or helpful? Are you in favor of exempting the rich from paying taxes or not? Do you support equal rights for everyone under the law? Do you support equal protections for everyone? Those are questions only you can answer and frankly as your neighbor, it doesn’t matter to me what you think as long as you mow your lawn and shovel your snow.
I may support disability rights, you may not. But if you get hurt, I’ll bring a casserole to your door whether you have insurance or not. If you lose your leg and can’t aford a fake one, I’ll help collect money. We do not have to agree to be neighbors. We do not have to practice the same faith, love the same people, or raise our kids or pets the same way in order to pass a conversation over the fence and be polite.
Like a lot of people I thought saying things to someone’s face was better than talking behind their back, only as I have matured, I realize that is a mistake. We need to bring back manners and talk about those others behind their back. Keep your neighbors happy, be nice and let them think and do, practice and live as they want and when your door is closed you can talk about them.