Us and Them

I am truly amazed at just how much UGLY rabid party loyalists from both parties can blurt out and the seriously low depths to which these loyalists can stoop. I've seen more vileness erupt from even people on my own friends' list than I thought possible and all founded on two things: politics and religion. If you aren't "one of us" then be prepared to be called all sorts of vile things , all semi-indirectly of course, so those involved can claim "innocence" and say "I was only linking a news item!" blah blah blah. I'm talking about about name-calling, and other shockingly divisive language which I certainly won't repeat here.

I have never, in my life, expected that some of the people on my own friends' list had THAT much ugly, that much hate, inside them! It doesn't surprise me coming from the public at large, that is sad in and of itself, but coming from people I supposedly know somewhat well or even very well! I personally have been called a troll for daring to visit pages I discovered via a friend's postings simply because I shared a different political viewpoint that was not in lock-step with their own. WOW! Surely I'm not the only person on FB that discovers other FB sites, or sites on the internet at large, by clicking on links shared by their friends...but to be called names by someone I dearly love for it?! Just....wow.

I am terribly disappointed with the rabid political loyalists from -both- of the two main parties in the United States. They are spreading as much hate, rage, name-calling, truly below-the-belt pot-shots, sexual slurs, racial slurs, and so on than I have ever seen. The far left "Liberals" (not to be confused with your every day moderate Democrat) and the far-right (some of which are part of the Tea Party but not all and not to be confused with moderate Republicans) should ALL be ashamed of themselves! Good grief! Do any of you people actually -read- with open eyes and hearts the truly horrendous ugliness that is pouring from your internet pens? Do any of you think this HELPS the Country come together to solves it's problems or does it just pour more poison into the pot to cause as much damage as possible to us all? What, in the name of basic decency, is WRONG with you people?!

This emotion, this "hate" is growing by pandemic proportions and it branches out to every issue and strata of the world, every person is being touched by it in some way. Division is becoming "the norm", even praised, and "compromise" has become a dirty word. It's a win-at-all-costs ideology I see emerging and frankly, it's more than a little nauseating and I have growing concerns for the future of not only my Country but my planet.

There is however a small ray of hope, a pin-prick of light in the seemingly ever-increasing gloom. Moderates. Those who acknowledge the differences in view or ideology, see the dangers of division-based "us vs them" thinking as though it is necessary for one group to dominate another, and still dare to hope and work for a future based on coming together rather than pulling apart. True moderates don't bury their heads in the sand. They know there are vastly different ideas of how to accomplish a desired goal, and even that some goals themselves may differ. They know that there will likely never be that perfect fit where everyone gets everything they want. What makes moderate different is their responses. True moderates are champions of honesty. They aren't blinded by party or religious loyalty to the point where their particular group is deemed to do no wrong while it's always the -others- fault for whatever issues have arisen. No, moderates will be the first to look just as honestly at their own group's gaffes as the others because what moderates want more than anything is not to be right or dominate, it's to move forward with what will make thing better for -everyone- not just themselves. Moderates don't start slinging slurs, don't jump up and down frothing at the proverbial mouth while pointing at every else screaming "Do it my way only, I'm right and you're a blankly-blank!". Moderates diligently hunt for the common ground and seek to build on it because they know that a sound foundation built on common ground is much less prone to being toppled. Why? Because those who stand on a commonly-held foundation are (usually) not foolish enough to undermine it. While not perfect because everyone must surrender a little bit of what they want to allow for what others want, it's absolutely the best way to build peace and unity. I hope there are enough of us to shift through the rubble once the radicals are done andbuild something wonderful out of it.

Adinkra symbol from West Africa which
represents an idea and proverb. The symbol
pictures two crocodiles which share a stomach.
The symbol implies the need for unity
when there is a shared destiny

There is no room for "hate" and the rhetoric of hate among moderates we always find within the radicals' circles. Moderates actively, calmly, and respectfully talk to one another about their differing views, differing ideas of ways to proceed, and they actively listen to each other too. There is no room for right-fighting, name-calling, or bullying.

Maybe I'm just dreaming. I sometimes wonder. Maybe I'm expecting too much of this world's people that they would -want- to live in peace and unity when in actuality they simply want to be on top, to rule, to be dominant over anyone that is "other". Is it so much in our human natures that we destroy each other and ultimately ourselves in the process?

As for my name-calling friends, I'm simply not engaging any longer with anything of any nature. These person(s) want, or maybe need, the security offered by "group-think", an echo-chamber existence where the lines between "us and them" are solidly in place and "them" are always wrong and have nothing to contribute. Rage, hate, vitriol is their daily diet lately and I have to realize that they have the right to chose this for their life. Me? I chose peace. I chose honesty. I chose unity over division. I chose compromise wherever possible. I chose to find the common ground and encourage people to build on it. What I have to stop doing is expecting people who are so entrenched in their hate, the rage, their poisonous diatribes...to see anything else because they are truly not capable of it. That's what this type of poison does and I cannot undo it. That has to come from within a person. They have to -want- the higher ground, the peaceful path, unity over dominance. I can't force them to want it. It's been a painful lesson