Standing in the Crossfire

One of the things I've always been most thankful for is my freedom of speech. As a writer, how could I not be? That doesn't always mean that I choose to exercise it, though. Just because one is free to do something does not always mean that one should do it. When it comes to politics, I generally choose to hold my tongue.

There are a number of reasons for this, not least of which is that I live in an extremely politically conservative part of the country, and I am most definitely not politically conservative. This will come as a shock to many of my readers because I don't advertise this fact. Neither am I a liberal, however, and one of the reasons I don't flaunt my politics is because many of my politically conservative friends and relatives find the idea that someone not politically conservative might not be exactly liberal either utterly ridiculous. In fact, I stand somewhere squarely in the middle, one foot firmly on conservative ground with the other planted solidly in the middle of liberal views. Directly in the line of crossfire.

Little wonder I am loathe to exercise one of my most precious freedoms when it comes to politics, no?

Another reason I choose not to discuss politics frequently is that those who do know my standing feel that this gives them freedom to try to sway me to their "side." Endlessly. As if I am not intelligent enough to figure it out for myself. Let me assure everyone now that I am of high intelligence, and the reason I stand so firmly in the middle is that I study nearly every issue and decide on an issue-by-issue basis where I stand on it. And on some issues (for example, health care), I'm pretty conservative. On others (for example, the environment), I'm quite liberal. This means I do not vote along party lines. I've voted for many Republicans. I've voted for many Democrats. In the same election. But I always vote. Even in the "small" elections. And I always know what I'm voting for and about. I just choose not to discuss it ad nauseum with everyone I meet in the checkout line at the grocery store. And I choose to assume that if you are voting differently, it is because you have done your own research and believe the way you are voting is the right way for you and your family. And that is your right. Just as it is my right to vote differently from you and still be treated as an intelligent human being.

I do not, and never will, understand people who vote strictly along party lines. Because of where I live, I am surrounded by many people who believe that if the Republicans say something is true, that's the same as the Word of God. And often they're getting they're information on what the Republicans say is true from Fox News. The worst news information source since CNN. Can someone please tell me what happened to "unbiased media"? It was still being preached during my journalism courses when I was in college a mere 20 years ago. So why is it that in this day and age, when we can get our information any time of day or night, anywhere, anyhow, it is OK for a major news source to be unabashedly biased in everything it reports on? These agencies don't even try to hide their obvious slant; in fact, they apparently embrace it. And otherwise intelligent people eat it up!

I absolutely do not understand this at all. To my stubborn little brain, it is like having them whisper in my ear, over and over again, "We think you're too stupid to figure out your own opinion on this issue, so we'll just go ahead and tell you what you should be thinking." Can someone please just report the facts to me and give me some credit for being able to figure out how I feel about it for myself? And why am I apparently one of only about 3 Americans who feels this way about it? What am I missing here?

In my humble opinion, this is a big part of what is wrong with America today. No one wants to take responsibility for anything. If someone else tells them what to think, then they can blame that source if yet another person disagrees with them. If they don't like what the President is doing, they can simply claim that they voted for the other party. If greedy big business drags the entire country into bankruptcy, we can blame the government, and then (again) claim that we voted for the other party. "Don't blame me," that's our motto. It's not our fault!

I get daily email forwards blaming President Obama for everything bad that is happening in this country now, while giving no credit for any of the good. Never mind that many of these problems existed two years ago, too. And guess what? Two years ago, I was getting similar emails about President Bush. Make up your mind, folks.

And you know what? It really is our own fault. We sit back and allow this to happen by not using our own brains and our own voices and our own rights to free speech and voting. In my opinion, what needs to happen to government in this country is that we just kick them all out on their asses and start over again. If you've held a major political office in the past, you're not eligible anymore. Too bad, so sad, you're morally corrupt, and we're sick of that crap. Then when we've wiped that corrupt slate clean, we can kick out every greedy CEO and CFO in corporate America who is more concerned with this year's bonus check than with what doing what is right and replace them all, too.

Technically, we can't do it that easily. But if all of us "small" people would stop being so lazy and take some responsibility for thinking for ourselves and speaking up about it, we could absolutely make some change happen. It will take some time, and it will be hard work. And everyone will have to pull his or her own weight. No more blaming everything and everyone else. If you don't have an answer yourself, come up with one or back a different one that's already out there. Don't just stand there and complain about the answer that's in front of you. If you don't like it, use your freedom of speech and own up to a better idea!

Put up or shut up, America. And check your sources. If it's an email forwarded from someone your brother's friend's half-sister's daughter "knows and trusts," it's probably not a great source. I'm just saying. And if it's a biased media outlet that freely mixes fact with opinion, you'll have to sort it out yourself. The facts are most likely good facts, but the opinions are still just opinions, even if they're stated as fact. So exercise your God-given freedom to think for yourself. You were given a brain by a greater power than even the President of the United States of America. So use it already!