Current mood:	annoyed
Current music:	Kevin Gilbert - Water Under the Bridge

An Open letter to my fellow Americans
"Clowns to the left
Jokers to the right
and here I am
stuck in the middle with you"
-Stuck In the Middle by Gerry Rafferty

My Fellow Americans,

We used to be able to discuss and argue politics rationally, to have intelligent and civil political discourse. The discussion sometimes would get heated, but there was a certain level of mutual respect that we would extend to one another.

In actually discussing and arguing politics we were communicating our ideas back and forth. Maybe we'd never agree and the best we could hope for was an agreement to disagree... but that's still better than what we have now. In communicating our political beliefs through debate and discussion we learned not only what one another believed but also why we believed what we believe and to an extent the train of thought or logic that led us to our differing political beliefs.

We don't have that any more. There's a lack of communication and with it has developed a lack of understanding and even more obvious is the lack of respect and civility shown to those with ideas other than our own.

It has been said by Democrats that Republicans often exhibit an air of "moral superiority" and it has been said by Republicans that Democrats often exhibit an air of "intellectual superiority." That is to say that Republicans are often seen as showing a certain level of contempt for those who don't share their moral beliefs and Democrats are often seen as exhibiting a certain air of condescension for those who don't share their beliefs. The rhetoric has grown heavier and more negative over the past few years and reached a Fever Pitch by election day.

I was hoping that after the election, regardless of the results, that this trend of division and lack of communication would start reversing. But I don't believe it has-- at least not significantly enough to notice. I still see the same vitrolic comments being shot like missles of hate back and forth-- the pen may have been mightier than the sword, but the keyboard is mightier yet-- because now we have computer monitors to hide behind. The opposition is faceless so we tend to show less consideration for them than before.

To my republican friends--those tree-hugging, birkenstock-wearing, looney, commie-pig leftists have feelings too. They're people, they have ideas and beliefs just like you do, for the most part they aren't morally corrupt, they give to charity and help strangers just like you do. To my liberal friends-- those ass-backwards, redneck, SUV driving, Rush Limbaugh-listening, Christian zealots have feelings and ideas of their own-- just because their ideas and beliefs are different than yours doesn't make those ideas (or by extension the people who have those ideas) stupid.

And to all of you-- We're all Americans, instead of making assumptions or broad-sweeping generalizations based on words like "liberal," "democrat," "conservative," and "republican", instead of assuming you know what people whose beliefs are different than yours are inferior either morally or intellectually, instead of assuming you understand them and they understand you:

Shut up and listen to one another already!

Instead of asking "What do you believe?" ask "Why do you believe, what you believe?," or "what events or thought process led you to the beliefs you had." Knowing what one another believes is only scratching the surface-- it doesn't help us understand one another. Knowing WHY we believe the way we believe, the core and foundation of one another's beliefs-- that will lead us to an understanding of one another. We all have a right to the beliefs and opinions we have. "Opinions" aren't "true" or "false" as they're completely subjective, and maybe if we're all willing to concede that and "agree to disagree" on certain issues and find common ground on others we can finally cease to be "us" and "them"-- isn't it about time to remind ourselves that regardless of our differeing opinions we're all still Americans?

Respectfully yours,
Perplexio