Satire or Anger? You Tell Me

 

I have been posting a fair amount on this blog, methinks too much, about the political polarization in this country.  I then post them on Facebook, the wonderful, politically unbiased, forum for serious political discourse and discussion designed to foster fellowship and deeper understanding amongst all the peoples of the world.  The result is that I provide an opportunity for my friends to comment, civilly at first, but then quickly spiral into diatribes and attacks on each other supporting one of the two polar views.  This is, of course, their right to do so.

I should know better.  I should only write about reminiscing about the way things were when I was growing up.  Those days of yore weren’t necessarily better or worse.  But, with the accelerating pace of change, people like to remember and reminisce.  They like to see the thread of appreciating the simple things in life with friends, family, school, worship, and work are in some way the parts of life that are most important. I may have to do more of that.

The polarization in this country, however, is an obsessive topic for me.  It has me worried about how all of this plays out.

Politics?  Gas prices?  Taxes?  I love this guy and hate that one?  Yeah, they are important.  Sure, we are all free and completely independent thinkers about these issue that are remarkably like the between 70 and 80 millions of others that have been eating the same pablum. 

Our capitol was stormed. This is not a good sign.  And yes, last year, in the midst of a pandemic stores were looted and property was destroyed.  Also, not a good sign. The fact that we are split about 50-50 on which of these was kind of OK and which was detestable is truly not a good sign.

Sure, everyone will attempt to school me on their perspective and blaming it on those that harbor the opposite perspective.  Isn’t that exactly what polarization is?

The dividing is complete. I fear the conquering. 

But I know what I just typed is wrong. 

People, people I know and am friends with, will explain to me why I am wrong.  Others will tell those folks who explained why I am wrong are right in that I am wrong, but they are wrongly explaining why I am wrong.  (Whew… that was a challenging sentence to construct.)  The only conclusion I can draw is that I am naïve and wrong.  Hell, I have to be, everyone is in agreement with that.

I should take solace in everyone who comments is better informed, have greater insight, are more logical, and thus generally smarter than me.  It is the only hope I have for making sense of this.

Oh, I am being too hard on myself?  Things are not that black and white.  There are shades of gray I should be acknowledging?  Well, that is exactly my point. 

That is exactly my point.

Let’s attribute this post to it being a glass half-full, dreary, gray, middle of winter Sunday in January.  As Mondays are always more uplifting and brighter, I am sure my mood will be much better tomorrow.  I wonder what the Trumpian or Bidenesque perspective is on this.  I am sure I will somehow be schooled on it. 

Passions are running high.  I see that.  I get that.

Do the leaders of the two poles of this abyss have our best interests at heart?  Can you guess how I might actually answer this question?

Let me bring George Carlin into the mix here.

 

 

 

School away dear friends, school away.