Divided We Fall

Divided We Fall
The View from the Middle

I’m 68 years old, but believe it or not, I still play basketball a couple days a week, or at least I will when we get passed the coronavirus. My skills are a shadow of what they were 45+ years ago but I’ve been playing so long that I usually know what I’m supposed to do or where I’m supposed to be so that I don’t penalize my team too much. I don’t play because of the amazing athletic feats I can perform any more. I play for the exercise for sure, but I also play because I really enjoy the camaraderie. I actually like the guys I play with. I enjoy the teamwork on the court and the conversations between games.

It dawned on me the other day, however, that our politicians really want me to hate at least half of these very men that I enjoy so much. While we all share the love of the game, our political philosophies range from the far right to the far left, and of course I profess to be right in the middle. When we disagree, we debate the subject, but we don’t lose respect for the person. According to our politicians, however, if I disagree with President Obama on anything, I’m a racist. If I disagree with Nancy Pelosi or AOC, I’m a misogynist. These extreme descriptions are designed to divide us by making us question the motives of anyone with whom we disagree.

Is it possible for a person to be in favor of border security and improved legal immigration laws and not be a xenophobe? From the White House to your house we all build walls and fences to keep people from damaging our property or threatening our lives. Do we as a country want “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free”? Absolutely! However, does anyone want criminals and terrorists to come to America? No. Can we work together to accomplish both? Of course!

Is it possible for a person to be pro-life and not be a misogynist? Consider that half of the million babies being aborted every year in the United States are female. Realize also that even a successful abortion surgery has a tremendously negative impact on the mothers of these children. Understand that only 50% of women in America are pro-choice. Are the other 50% of our women misogynists? Is that even possible? Can we protect women and the unborn at the same time? Yes, and I believe that’s what most Americans want.

Is it possible for a person who is in favor of charter schools and a voucher system for education not to be a racist? Did you know that members of Congress are four times more likely to send their children to private schools? Is it wrong to give that same choice to every family in America? My children have been out of college for almost 20 years now. I would recognize no personal gain from vouchers or charter schools. I just want more people to have the same choices I had when I sent my girls to private schools all those years ago.

Is it possible for a person who believes in traditional marriage, not to be a homophobe? Do you remember the mass shooting in 2016 that left 49 dead at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando? Do you remember the lines of people waiting to give blood for the victims of that horrible terrorist attack? You must remember that most of these people were heterosexual, because of the restrictions placed on gays for giving blood. We can debate those restrictions later, but the reality is that many “straight” people were giving blood in an attempt to support the gay victims of that tragedy. Are these the “homophobic” people our politicians are talking about?

It sickens me to watch politicians try to turn Americans against each other for political gain. Do you really think that the majority of Americans are misogynistic, racist, xenophobic, homophobic, Islamophobic bigots? I don’t. In fact, I believe that most Americans on both sides of the political spectrums are decent, hard-working, caring people who just want to pass a better America on to their children. But that positive image will not drum up the hatred necessary to divide us into the ideological camps that they think is required to win elections. I think that creating unity in America is a far more powerful political force, and I’ll give some evidence of that in my next article.

Unfortunately, I do not see an actual uniting figure on either side of the political spectrum today. So, if we can’t depend on our politicians to unite us, we’re going to have to do it ourselves. Understanding the true, positive character of the vast majority of the American public will bring us together. Then, unity and tolerance will drive the compromise that is necessary to produce the change and progress needed to really make this country great again. When we hear these extreme descriptions, recognize them for what they are, a selfish attempt to deceive and divide us. We need to punish these selfish, narcissistic, egotistical, smug, vain, pompous, prideful frauds (exaggeration intended) by voting them out of office for they do NOT represent America.