Which Side Are You On?

Society is being bombarded with 24/7 "breaking news coverage". Whether on tv or on the web, we are constantly surrounded with the new soundbytes from which we base our opinions on. Seldomly do we hear the whole news article, and even more seldomly do we research the information we've just been exposed to. We just go about our merry way, with that soundbyte resonating inside our heads. There is no frame of reference. There is no context. There is just that little bit of something we picked up. It may have been a news article or an opinion piece. But we are not sure what we heard, only that we heard it. Does it matter if it's one person's opinion or a factual news article? Without actually paying attention and actually researching what you just heard, you will never know for sure. But it really doesn't matter as you just heard it again, and again, and again. If you keep hearing it, then it must be true. Repetition does not substitute truth, but it's easy and it's comforting.

There has been a lot of arguements as of late over politics. People take comfort in categories. Things are either black or white. But people are also social by nature and have a need to be accepted. Society has alligned themselves into one of two categories, the Conservatives and the Liberals. We are expected to be one or the other. If you are not one, then you must be the other. Conservative or Liberal, Republican or Democrat, society has more than one of two options. Yet we allign ourselves and are expected to allign ourselves into one of these two simple categories. We can rationalize our differences with our alligned party as "there are always exceptions." Yet alligning with either of these two ideals leads to greater acceptance. With greater acceptance we feel more righteous. Our voice is not alone in this world; there is someone else who believes the same way I do! So we become proud. We feel we are right. And if we are right, then the other person must be wrong. Proud, yet bold statements are made. "Democrats are evil." "Republicans are heartless." But don't both parties share the common belief that they are promoting what is best for America as a nation?

Society is at the core, but we are forgotten. What is best for the nation is not always what is best for society, and vice versa. Wealth and Industry are good for our nation, but compassion and work is good for society. Civil rights is good for society, but division is good for the nation. Society benefits from the acceptance to the diverisity of our thoughts and opinions. The nation benefits from a separation of the classes. In every society it is inevitable to have a working class and an upper class. It is a symbiotic relationship. The business owners would not have a business at all without workers. Workers would not have jobs without business owners. When one grows, so does the other. Through mutual growth, society benefits as a whole.

But again, society has been forgotten in this equation of categories. "You are either with us or against us" has replaced "we are all Americans." Compromise has been replaced with one side imposing their ideals unto the other. Our neglected society is broken into one of two categories, the right and the wrong, the left and the right, the Conservatives and the Liberals, and the worthy and the unworthy.

No one person has the right answer to everything. No one party has the right answer to every problem. No one class has the right answer to societal issues. But we are divided, entrenched in our ideals. Both our society and our nation will benefit and grow only through contributions of society as a whole. That was the notion that the United States was founded upon. A collection of 13 individual states, each with their own idea over what is best for the nation. One state falling would be at the detriment of the others. Collectively, they unified their best of ideals which represent the individual states as a whole. There were two separate politcial parties, but ultimately they were united as "Americans".

Each of us have a perception and a perspective on what we feel is best for others. It's very difficult to see the other's perspective. But that does not entitle us to be righteous over the other. That divides our society. Your voice is no more important than ours. Your voice is no less important than ours. But we must be intellectually honest. A voice is only as important as the accuracy of the message being conveyed. One does not have the right to an opinon which they can not defend. We must be honest and sincere. Sincerity must be based upon fact and evidence, not subjective opinion. Basing an opinion upon that soundbyte we sort of heard is not a sincere opinion, it is just opinion over what we thought we may have heard. Basing an opinion over repetition is as equally insincere. We must be honest enough to say that the other has a very right and valid point. Basing opinions upon evidence is more beneficial than subjective talking points. For that is the only way our society will grow. A divided society only defeats itself.

Are you a Republican or a Democrat? Are you a conservative or a liberal? It only matters in a divided society. I am neither Republican or Democrat. I am neither conservative or liberal. I am the embodiment of both ideals, I am an American Citizen. Which side are you on?

-Silence Goodall