I Miss the Middle

 "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right- here I am, stuck in the middle with you."

        -Gerry Rafferty and Joe Eagan

Earlier this week, I posted something on social media about the most recent school shooting, and I knew it would be a lightning rod for argument.  I still think the post was appropriate, and I still think the sentiment was true. It took all less than 3 hours for the conversation on the post to degenerate into name-calling and generally awful things being said about groups of people, and I just took the post down. 

I long for real discussion, but I hate the new American political "debate" where the other side is always wrong, always stupid, and always evil. 

It's a way to dismiss arguments we don't want to consider.  It's a way to dehumanize and silence the opposition. It's a way to stop conversation and limit ideas.  It's personal, it's brutal, and it's awful.  

It feels like it is only ok to have opinions about social issues if they are completely partisan. This reality frustrates me because I don't really fall either purely liberal or purely conservative.  I'm almost never convinced by the purely "red" or "blue" positions on things.  I am bothered by false binaries- I rarely believe there is only "this option" or "that option".  I don't believe policy compromise is always bad.  I do believe pure partisanship is, almost always, bad.  

I am afraid we have crossed some sort of weird Rubicon where our nation has to be divided over everything.  Why?  Why does this have to be true?  

I have a new poem today- more of a rant, maybe than a poem.  

There is No Middle

Our society has degenerated into soundbites
Ten-word answers that oversimplify
And obfuscate
And mislead
The truth is now whatever gets repeated
Over and over and over
Until enough people believe it
Because they “heard it somewhere”
So it sticks- true or not

Perfect is now the enemy of better
"Whataboutism" whittles down good ideas
Until those ideas become laughable to half of the "listeners"
"Listeners" weren't listening 
"Listeners" who only hear to answer
And never to understand
"Listeners" who were never going to support the new thing, anyway
Until new ideas which could make people's lives better
Just get silenced and never see the light of day. 
Nothing changes.  

One of the most effective tools in the messaging war
Is to change things so they have no meaning
Create false binaries
So overstate the opposition position
As to make it ridiculous
Unacceptable 
Disgusting
Offensive
Inhumane
Evil

If I support immigrant rights and access
I must be opposed to law and order
But if I support any legal process for immigrating
I must be a racist
 
If I oppose so-called “Parental Rights” laws
I must want kids indoctrinated by the left
If I want schools to have grade-appropriate literature
I must want to ban books
There cannot be any middle ground

If I’m Pro-life, I can’t possibly allow for exceptions
If I’m Pro-choice, I can’t possibly allow for any restrictions

I must either be 100% pro second amendment
Or want all guns taken away
“You own guns?"
You’re a disgusting, horrible human being!”
“You want universal background checks?”
“You want to restrict the size of ammunition magazines?
“Don't tread on me, you commie!"

While we are talking about rights…
 
How did we get to a place where
Political divisions mean
We get to pick the rights which we like
And ignore or deny the rights we don’t?
Why can’t I defend freedom of speech
And freedom of expression
And the right to bear arms
Why do 2nd amendment supporters
Often want to ignore the first amendment?
And vice-versa?
 
When did we stop believing
That MY rights END
Where someone else's rights begin?
When did we stop knowing
Life and liberty were declared rights
BEFORE any of the rest?
 
What happened to the middle? 
What happened to reason?
What happened to civility?
What happened to the common good?
What happened to honest, basic human respect?
 
I miss the middle
I miss real debate on actual issues
Instead of partisan speeches and votes
I miss thought and examination driving decisions
Instead of party line positions
I want democratic process
Instead of PAC money directives
I long for reason
I long for civility
 
I long for…
Something better than this

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