Politics in the United States is a very binary system, and the dichotomy is obvious: either you're with the conservative, pious Republicans or the liberal, tree-hugging Democrats. To even ponder the grey area between this black and white can seem felonious at times, and certainly doesn't win sympathy from the hard-core followers of either party.
Our society encourages the polarization of the people into two extremely narrow categories, but this tendency only hides the millions of moderates in these two camps, rather than acknowledging the spectrum of beliefs., Too often, moderates are viewed as indecisive, wishy-washy, or altogether apathetic. Few people acknowledge that a single person can hold very steadfast beliefs that just happen to fall on both sides of that unspoken line between Republicans and Democrats. The truth is, I wholeheartedly doubt that even the most stubborn conservatives and liberals agree with every stance of their chosen party.
I would venture to say that about 90% of those who read this relate to my words to some extent. The other 10% of you either refuse to see your inner ambiguity or, perhaps, actually do agree with every single stance of your ideology. But to that other 90%, I say this:
Don't succumb to the dichotomy. Take a stand for what you believe, even if it goes blatantly against your professed party. It is a hard time to be a moderate, but that is no reason to conform for comfort.
As you have probably guessed, this is the first of many writings of a stubborn moderate. If you find that you cannot tuck me into a neat little category, don't fret. If you find that you can... well, let me know. Either way, keep reading, and I'll try to keep you on your toes.
Jen
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