Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Rant on Discourse in America

I'm not republican or a democrat. I'm not a conservative or a liberal. I'm for good ideas that solve problems, and move America forward. Remember the American dream? Work hard, play by the rules. With little luck, maybe you get a little further ahead than your Dad, and maybe your kids get a little further ahead than you do. But I don't see America, as a country, moving ahead as fast as it could because there are too many people who are making entirely too much money gumming up the system.

The system has been hijacked by people who want to distract the American public from solving problems because they get rich doing it. They're called politicians, and their lap dogs. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, Michael Moore, (Rev.) Jesse Jackson, (Rev.) Al Sharpton, the ACLU, the NRA, the list goes on and on and on. Not only have they gummed up the system, they've changed the scope and the dynamics of the debate. Citizens no longer debate the merits of ideas and proposals, now they cling to one side or the other. If they're for your side, they're right, always, unquestionably, period, end of conversation. If they are closer to the other side, they are wrong, stupid, idiots, jerks, throw a pie at them, shout them down at assemblies so they can't be heard. Do what ever is necessary to prevent them from getting their ideas out to the public. Heaven forbid, they might actually influence some one. We can't have that, after all they are for the "other side", they are the enemy.

There are two things in particular, that really get me. First off, if you stop and really think about it, the vast majority of Americans agree on about 98% of debates. That's why bombs aren't going off. Remember the past election, how divided every one said it was? No one was killed, no one was kidnapped, no beheadings. America patiently waited in line, filled out our ballots, then went back to our lives. How was that possible if we are so divided? Its because we aren't all that divided. We all want good jobs, clean air, safe streets, etc. etc, etc. I posed that question to
my sister and she was flustered. "How can you say we agree? There was no violence because we are a peaceful people!" The only reason we have an option to be peaceful people is because we are so united. You can be as peaceful as humanly possible, but if the guy down the road wants to bomb your car, there isn't a whole lot preventing them. We get along because, more or less, we all have the same values - fringe lunatic excluded. My point is, as fellow citizens, we're wasting so much time, energy and brain power arguing about that last 2%.

And what kind of arguing are we doing over that small 2% of the debate? What questions are being asked? What kind of opinions, ideas, and ideology are we spewing back and forth? "Idiot." "Border line retarded." "Big oil." "Gay and lesbian extremists." "Vast right wing conspiracy." "Vast left wing conspiracy." "Redneck." "Haliburton." "ACLU." "Blue-stater." "Red-stater." The list goes on, but I won't sink to cursing. We are not exchanging ideas, we are not debating options, we are
not trying convince each other in the arena of free ideas. Instead we are trying to marginalize other's opinions as not even worthy or discussion. Actually we are labeling the other side as not even worthy of participating in the arena of free ideas. If the other person is nothing but an "idiot", then all we need do is laugh at them. And when that happens, then the politicians have won. We are no longer debating what is best for us, instead, we are looking for funnier adjectives to deride our opponents. And what that means is, we have shut ourselves off to other options, other opinions, other ideas. And when that happens, we have lost. We have
closed our minds. The politicians have won, because the national debate on what's best for ourselves, our families, our communities, and our nation has been reduced to what the political lap dogs on TV and radio spew out for money. Rather than question our own beliefs, we gladly pay for affirmation that we are correct and our opponents sub-human. If you do that, I will challenge you. I will force you to defend your position. I will publicly show you for what you are - devoid of ideas.

If you have better ideas than I do, lets hear them. If you can convince me, then I will freely admit it, and happily raise your banner. But only if your mind is open to other possible ideas too. If you rally for your side, yet refuse to listen to anything else - and I mean really listen - then you are a closed minded bigot, and are good only for the butt of jokes.