Political Junior High Dance
I know that this is a tired joke, but sometimes comparisons to middle school dances are appropriate in many cases of adult life. You know the drill... the girls stand on one side of the room and the boys stand on the other side of the room... and yes, nobody dances. The girls do what girls do, and the boys do what boys do (which usually involves simulating bodily noises with our armpits... of course that was junior high ;)... at least that's what I'm letting any girls reading this know :) hahaha)
You know, the world would have been much better if (and when) the boys and girls actually met at the middle of the room and... danced. Funny thing.
Somehow, as I've watched the view from "my side of the room" in this political season, I feel like the way our country's debate is going is about the same craziness.
Conservatives sit on one side of the room, with their pet issues... bickering when they don't get their way (unlimited drilling of oil on our country's soil, massive tax cuts, increased military spending, Ten Commandments in the court lawns, etc.) - with bumper stickers like "I think, therefore I'm conservative" and "HIllary is the antichrist" and whatever... and of course it doesn't help the matter with the banter on talk radio with Rush and Savage saying stuff like "Liberalism is a mental disorder" - and don't get me started on Ann Coutier.
Liberals sit on the other side of the room, with their pet issues, doing the same thing. And having their own crossed-out W bumper stickers, the (kind of funny) sticker about a village in Texas missing it's idiot, and the like.
And, aside from a few brave souls, no one goes to the dance floor. And honestly, in today's world, we would be much better off if they did. Imagine that we could actually get some things done and solve some of our major issues.
Instead... we choose sides and pick on one another... which makes for great entertainment on the news shows but really doesn't make for a productive and sensible political climate.
Funny thing is... most people on either side of the political spectrum will say things like "I think therefore I'm {insert liberal or conservative}," but in my experience MOST (not all) people who are idealogues aren't really thinking too much at all... they're following the bent of the political ideology they've chosen and accept those positions as truth. In reality, if we really took stock in what we believe, we probably have some opinions (if left to our own mind and thoughts) that lean toward the conservative and some that are more liberal... and each of these viewpoints can add color to the debate in our country if we would just decide to work with each other rather than choose sides and start firing insults at one another.
Or... demonizing the positions of the other side because it a.) may not agree with our convictions, or b.) poses a threat to our convienence. Let's seriously put some reasoning behind our positions and convictions... and not just parrot what we heard from Rush, or Michael Savage, or NPR. The one thing I appreciate about (being a conservative leaning centrist) some of my liberal friends is that they can articulate why they believe what they believe... and a liberal political philosophy does not necessarily contradict Christianity, as some would assert. Neither does being a loyal Republican make you a born again Christian. Please. Let's get over these childish games.
And meet at the middle, in the dance floor.... and solve the issues that are facing us.
Not that I'm betting on that anytime soon. But it sure would be nice :-)
chris <><
You know, the world would have been much better if (and when) the boys and girls actually met at the middle of the room and... danced. Funny thing.
Somehow, as I've watched the view from "my side of the room" in this political season, I feel like the way our country's debate is going is about the same craziness.
Conservatives sit on one side of the room, with their pet issues... bickering when they don't get their way (unlimited drilling of oil on our country's soil, massive tax cuts, increased military spending, Ten Commandments in the court lawns, etc.) - with bumper stickers like "I think, therefore I'm conservative" and "HIllary is the antichrist" and whatever... and of course it doesn't help the matter with the banter on talk radio with Rush and Savage saying stuff like "Liberalism is a mental disorder" - and don't get me started on Ann Coutier.
Liberals sit on the other side of the room, with their pet issues, doing the same thing. And having their own crossed-out W bumper stickers, the (kind of funny) sticker about a village in Texas missing it's idiot, and the like.
And, aside from a few brave souls, no one goes to the dance floor. And honestly, in today's world, we would be much better off if they did. Imagine that we could actually get some things done and solve some of our major issues.
Instead... we choose sides and pick on one another... which makes for great entertainment on the news shows but really doesn't make for a productive and sensible political climate.
Funny thing is... most people on either side of the political spectrum will say things like "I think therefore I'm {insert liberal or conservative}," but in my experience MOST (not all) people who are idealogues aren't really thinking too much at all... they're following the bent of the political ideology they've chosen and accept those positions as truth. In reality, if we really took stock in what we believe, we probably have some opinions (if left to our own mind and thoughts) that lean toward the conservative and some that are more liberal... and each of these viewpoints can add color to the debate in our country if we would just decide to work with each other rather than choose sides and start firing insults at one another.
Or... demonizing the positions of the other side because it a.) may not agree with our convictions, or b.) poses a threat to our convienence. Let's seriously put some reasoning behind our positions and convictions... and not just parrot what we heard from Rush, or Michael Savage, or NPR. The one thing I appreciate about (being a conservative leaning centrist) some of my liberal friends is that they can articulate why they believe what they believe... and a liberal political philosophy does not necessarily contradict Christianity, as some would assert. Neither does being a loyal Republican make you a born again Christian. Please. Let's get over these childish games.
And meet at the middle, in the dance floor.... and solve the issues that are facing us.
Not that I'm betting on that anytime soon. But it sure would be nice :-)
chris <><
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