Read this… before it’s too late

I’m desperate to tell you something.

And you really need to hear me.

Our society is succumbing to a very dangerous idea.

It can be summed up in 3 words.

Us. Versus. Them.

We are dividing into camps of right vs. wrong. Good vs. evil.

This idea is subtle and seductive. And it’s poisoning our souls. We’re angry, we’re afraid and we’re stressed. And we’re desperately trying to find others who see the world the way we do, because in our insecurity, we figure we’d better stick together to fight the enemy, their way of thinking and their way of life.

But it’s a lie. A half-truth.

It’s not us vs. them.

There is no “them.”

There is only us.

The truth is, we’re all human. There’s only one human race, and we’re all in this together. I firmly believe we are all children of God. But even if you’re not a spiritual person, I’m sure you can agree that all human beings have a shared identity, dignity and potential. You don’t have to be American to grasp the concepts of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Regardless of our background, color or creed, we all share the same basic DNA, the same planet, and the same universal languages of love and laughter.

So why are we becoming so polarized? I could write a book (and maybe I will), but for the sake of brevity, let’s just say it boils down to two things: profits and power. Those are what lie at the core of this division.

I think we need a new pair of lenses. We need a new perspective. So I’m starting this blog.

Why on God’s green earth do we need another blog?

Well to put it simply, we don’t. But I’m not really publishing this for the benefit of all humankind. I just have some things to say, that need to be said. And I don’t hear a lot of other voices like mine out there.

So this is really an experiment to see if what I’m thinking resonates with others. If this post and this blog help put into words something you’ve been thinking or feeling, or help to articulate some amorphous thoughts rolling around in the back of your mind, great. If you think I’m just spewing drivel, that’s fine too. As I said, it’s not for you. It’s certainly not for everyone. But for now, I’m going to make a case for getting to this point, and for continuing to blog in this space.

Why we need a view from the middle

America is divided (so we’re told). We have polarized into camps of this versus that, and we’re told to pick a side. Republican or Democrat. Liberal or Conservative. Coke or Pepsi.

The trouble is, all those choices are false choices. I can join a different political party, or no party at all. I can be liberal on some issues and conservative on others. And I certainly don’t have to drink cola if I don’t want to. Green tea, anyone? Or how about a nice glass of water? There are dozens of brands to choose from.

We need a “View from the Middle” because we’re endlessly being sold, categorized and labeled, according to our “unique” differences. And I think division is intrinsic to American culture and government. Don’t forget that many of the country’s founders wanted 13 independent states and a weak central government. We wanted separation of church and state. We wanted equally divided branches of government: judicial, legislative and executive.

This isn’t news to anyone. But I think we have forgotten. We forget that we have far more similarities than we do differences. We forget that most people basically want the same things: freedom, prosperity, peace. We just differ on how to achieve these ends. Unfortunately, many people and institutions profit from getting us focused on those differences, and are invested in keeping us divided, scared and adversarial.

That’s not just sad — it’s totally unacceptable. We are being spoon-fed poisonous false dichotomies 1,000 times a day, on the news, in our social media, in schools and even in churches are charitable institutions, where unity is precious and should be cultivated.

This blog, a View from the Middle, aims to cut through divisive BS and provide lucid, cogent commentary that a majority of readers can agree with and hopefully act upon. I want people to stop seeing “red” states and “blue” states, and instead see the reality that our nation is made up of a wonderful cross-section of people from all backgrounds and perspectives. However, we to not attain “strength through diversity” (another lie), but strength through unity. Unity of purpose, unity of vision and direction. Diversity is fine, but diverse people need to work together to understand each other, clarify their positions, get on the same page and resolve to move forward. That is strength. Diversity — as it’s currently practiced — is more of an immature NIMBY, that’s-mine-this-is-yours mentality that gets us nowhere.

What a view from the middle is

Here’s what this blog aspires to be:

• Factual. I will attempt to use real data whenever possible. If I have a hunch or an opinion, it will be stated as such. I will try never to publish something unsubstantiated or anything based on shoddy research. Unfortunately, facts are getting harder to come by in our society. I’ll be doing an entire post on this soon.
• Centrist. Maybe this is obvious. But it bears repeating that I’m not here trying to present “both sides.” If you’ve read this far, you probably know that I believe there are *always* more than two sides to any issue. It’s not: “Trump: you either love him or hate him.” No. There are people who’ve never heard of The Donald, and people who just don’t care. See? I’ve just come up with two more kinds of people who neither love nor hate Trump.
• Opinionated. Being centrist doesn’t mean always seeking middle ground or compromise. Part of being a “whole person” means I’m not always going to be centrist on every issue. In general, I try to stay away from absolutes. But if I have a strong opinion one way or the other, you’ll know it.

What a view from the middle is NOT

Here’s what this blog is NOT about:

• It’s not about avoiding extremes at all costs. Yes, most topics have multiple shades of gray. But sometimes things are pretty black and white. I’m OK with that.
• It’s not always about opting out. For example, when voters are faced with equally unpleasant candidates, sometimes they just decide not to vote. That’s their right, and it’s fine by me. BUT, sometimes we are forced to choose, either by conscience or by circumstance, between the lesser of two evils. My argument would generally be, not to opt out, but to find a third (or fourth) alternative. There are rarely only *two* options. That’s just another lie we’re sold, or we tell ourselves.
• It’s not about endlessly sitting on the sidelines. I know some people will take me to task for this, saying that on a particular issue, there are no fence-sitters. “You’re either for us or against us,” they’ll say. I think this is true in very few cases. Being centrist doesn’t mean always waiting until all the facts are in (that is, forever) before weighing in. Sometimes you have to make the best decision based on the facts at hand. Life isn’t lived by timidly avoiding tough choices.

Why I’m qualified to present this view

There are many reasons for me to want to present a more reasoned, centrist view of life, health, politics, spirituality and any number of topics. Here are a few of the good ones:

• I’m middle-aged. Old enough to bring some good life experience to any topic. Young enough to grasp the technology and trends that are changing the world. Plus, as a member of Gen-X, I’m firmly planted in the middle of two large and influential demographics: Baby Boomers and Millennials. That presents a good opportunity to act as a bridge between the two groups.
• I’m middle-class. Neither rich nor poor, I live in an ordinary suburban neighborhood, about equidistant from the city and the countryside. I attended a state university. I have a typical family: one girl and one boy (of course). Our kids go to public schools, play in sports and in marching band. They’re regular kids.
• I’m a middle child. Other middle-children out there will identify as the peacemakers, the ones who had just as much fun playing with the older kids as the younger ones. We don’t need to lead, but we’re happy to when the need arises. We don’t mind following, as long as the leadership is adequate. We know what it’s like to be looked up to, and looked down on. We don’t need to be the center of attention. We’re happy to fit in.
• I’m ambidextrous. Seriously. Sometimes I forget which hand to use when buttering my bread. I throw left, and write right. I play racquetball with either hand. In basketball, my free-throw is right handed but my (sometimes) deadly hook shot is lefty.
• I’m equally left/right-brained. Perhaps because of my ambidexterity (or maybe its cause?), I’m happy to be in free-flowing creative mode, as well as using a spreadsheet to analyze data. In high school I took AP English as well as Calculus. Some people nicknamed me “Mr Spock” for my logical contributions, while others knew me as the sarcastic class cutup who did hilarious impressions ranging from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Elmo. So, in my brain, post-apocalyptic “Terminator” earth and Sesame Street live happily juxtaposed to one another.
• I’m Anglican. Anglicans are the “middle child” of Christianity, sandwiched between Catholic and protestant. Technically, we are the world’s largest protestant denomination, but we have many of the sacraments (i.e. infant Baptism, Holy Communion) that are usually attributed to Catholicism. In case you’re wondering, no we don’t acknowledge the Pope.
• I’m a dual citizen. I was born in New Zealand, where my mom is from; she met my father (an American from Michigan) way back in the 1960s. I think this gives me more of a “third-party” perspective, at least where U.S. politics and culture are concerned. I have passports from both countries. If you’re curious, I live (and vote) in the U.S.
• Speaking of voting, I’m an independent. When I turned 18, I registered as an independent (no party preference) and I’ve never looked back. I got a journalism degree in college and my belief was (and remains), you can’t be an objective reporter if you’ve already picked sides. In fact, I don’t see much difference between the Democrats and Republicans in terms the way they operate or the results they achieve. From my perspective, government seems to plod along in the same general direction no matter which party is in power.

What’s next?

I’d love to get your opinions on what I should write about next. I’m thinking of several topics, some of which may have strong “good vs. evil” overtones, depending on which side you sit. I definitely will be writing about current events, media and culture. Some topics may have a political slant (healthcare, abortion) but I don’t want this to become a political blog. I’m not a very political person, and I find politics pretty boring, honestly. Plus, I’d argue that most Americans are not political animals. There are plenty of other things to write about.

Please give me some ideas in the blog comments section below. Thanks for reading!