Lately it feels like every election is pivotal. If we win, we are safe one more year, if they win we are in trouble. But that's the way both sides feel. I know this because I live a bit of a double life. I am a closeted liberal, as far as most of my colleagues are concerned.
In the professional circles I move, I keep my political and social views to myself. As much as I would like to express them in full, it would probably mean a loss of my business and more importantly, it would not change anyone's mind. As a matter of fact, by being in stealth mode, I have been able to turn a few of "them" to my way of thinking, something I could not have done otherwise
Sometimes I catch the roll of Lisa's eyes when her dad makes a sexist remark or the disgust in Mary's face when Jim calls someone a nigger or Mike slowly walking away when the conversation turns to "those Mexicans".
I then approach them and carefully open a conversation.
Feeling a bit like a spy inside the Death Star, knowing I'm on the right side of history, but also knowing that getting caught would mean hardship... we talk, some think the way I do, some are confused... confused mostly because they have been constantly bombarded by their heritage. But we talk, I can see the hope in their faces when they realize that they are not alone, it's probably the same hope they see in my face when I talk to them... and you feel alone in the South. You feel alone if you think differently than the rest, you feel alone if you dare to question authority, you feel alone if you feel.
No, these are not people whose minds will be changed. Jesus could literally come down from the sky and tell them -much as he did the first time- that what they are doing is wrong and they should love one another.
-- And they would ignore him.
They would ignore him because that is not what the bible says, at least the parts they currently care to read. They would ignore him because they have been programmed past the point of no return. Perhaps it should make me sad, but it doesn't. It does not make me sad because I have realized that it is a fact, and there is no point in feeling one way or another about facts.
So, with that in mind. let's get back to the elections. Why is it that they are so pivotal? Perhaps that is not the right question. Perhaps the right question is "Why do we feel like it's always do-or-die?" Yes, that is a better question. Our political system has become poisoned... it has become poisoned and it has become poisonous. It is polarizing us and it is trying to rip us apart. We can't find a middle ground because there isn't one. There is Right and there is Left and you have to be one or the other to get elected. Now, some -like me- would try to argue that the Right is too Right and that the Left is also too Right. But that's a different point and I can talk about that some other time... of course by now I'm just talking to myself since no one wold ever read this far... if you do, just post a big "hi" on my facebook page.
It has gotten this way partly because of gerrymandering, partly because of huge influx of money into the electoral system, and the media is to blame too. The media has perfected the delivery of their message, whatever the message is. And the message hits home and it hits hard.
So, I've managed to state the problem. I have no idea what the solution may be... or at least what an attainable solution would look like. I am tempted to say that all we need to do is win the next election... but then it would be the proverbial snake biting its tail. no?
