Black & White, Red & Blue

Everywhere I look I see extremists. So many people are so sure that they are right and unwilling to compromise at all. These same people also think that others who disagree with them are stupid. I have yet to find a single fact of life or argument that only has two options, but all I ever see is people arguing 2 points.

Don’t allow yourself to become a stereotype. Don’t label yourself or others as Liberal or Pro-Choice or Anti-Obama, because there is more to all of these issues than just a yes or no. One of the main reasons we can’t get a Healthcare bill through is because Democrats can’t even agree on it for example.

I could be considered anti-Obama. I will talk up and down about how he gets all kinds of credit for doing nothing of great consequence at all. Yes, he’s spoken publicly about things I agree with and yes, he “represents” a progressive and positive change. He has also improved America’s standing among the international community, but talk is cheap. Has he revoked Don’t Ask Don’t Tell? Has he lead the Democratic Party to unity? Has he pulled our troops out of harm’s way? No. Americans are still dying in Afghanistan for a cause I disagree entirely with. The supposedly most important legacy of his presidency, Healthcare, has still not even been agreed upon by his own party. Gay Americans are still considered less than human by our government. That being said, there are many people who are Anti-Obama because they feel he’s doing too much. Therefore, you can’t lump me into the same group and thereby assume I’m stupid just because you love Obama and think he’s doing a great job.

I’m tired of everyone choosing sides depending on what they’re against. It’s one thing to watch Fox News and talk about how biased it is and then turn around and watch MSNBC as if its balanced. That makes everyone hypocrites. You also shouldn’t judge or hate others just because they disagree with you. Calling all Liberals immoral idiots is a judgmental generalization that is not only insensitive and stereotypical, but it also prevents the person saying it to learn anything at all. Being pig-headed and ignorant to opposing views does not improve a human being. Dismissing the opposing argument as stupid does nothing for society.

There is no need to use completely excessive metaphors to further your point. Saying that George W. Bush is dumb as a stick may be funny, but it has no place in a serious political argument. Saying that Obama is like Hitler (an example taken from my cousin’s blog) is an inflammatory statement that gets attention, but it also makes your entire point of view seem ridiculous.

Choose your issues. If you don’t have a STRONG opinion about an issue, then don’t argue about it. I don’t know much about infrastructure for example. When the bridge in the midwest came down my thoughts on it ended at “that’s unfortunate”. I’m not going to argue about how we need to get more construction jobs going or what poor shape the city is in. I know my place and choose my battles and it prevents me from being too critical of any politician or “philosopher”.

Life is not a chess game. You don’t have to choose one color or another. You should strive to learn as much as you can about every point of view to better know yourself. Don’t wave a blue democrat flag if you don’t fully understand or agree with everything it represents. I consider myself an Independent because I agree with pieces of every philosophy. I think that America would be a better place if everyone marked themselves as an Independent voter with unique and worthwhile morals and views. Yes, maybe we vote Democrat or Republican because they are “close enough” to what we want. But we don’t have to consider the other side our enemy.

Not everything has to be a fight to the death.