SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE
Running is
excellent for your health. Runners have
a strong heart, great endurance, and low blood pressure…and yet some marathon
runners don’t know when to stop, they keep on pushing themselves until it kills
them.
The Planet
is warming. Eventually this warming will
cause destructive storms beyond our imagination, there will be floods,
droughts, and the sea will rise and swallow up our coastal cities…or not. Should we stop burning all fossil fuels? Do we rely on wind? It is killing eagles. Do we get rid of coal
and stop drilling for oil? Whole sections of our economy would go into deep
depression.
Sometimes the wrong
people own and use guns. Children are
being killed in school. Do we make gun
ownership illegal, take away everyone’s guns? Criminals will still have guns,
will crime run rampant?
Sexual
harassment is a big problem today, always has been I guess, what laws need to
be passed? When is a flirting glance or
a casual coy comment harassment? Should
six year olds be allowed to hold hands? Is a kiss on the cheek
objectionable? Maybe we should separate
all areas of life by gender, but then what of our gender confused citizens?
Air
pollution is a problem. If we
over-regulate industry, our economy may collapse, if we don’t regulate at all
we will have the pollution issues which are hurting the economy and the people
in China.
Voter
identification and regulation…too stringent and you scare legitimate voters
away, too lax and elections are decided by people that do not even exist.
Pot, good or
bad? Cigarettes, booze, narcotics,
gambling, prostitution, taxes…all these issues have proponents for complete
elimination and proponents for a no regulation, laissez faire solution.
Welfare,
Medicaid, minimum wage, Unions, Golden Parachutes, unemployment benefits, tax
loopholes, business regulations…all are needed and in some instances,
all are abused.
Abortion,
any reference to God in Government, civil rights, income distribution…so many
issues…so few answers.
Republican,
Democrat, Conservative, Liberal, who is right, who is wrong? We fight every
issue from one side or the other.
Politics is dog eat dog, my way or the highway, anything goes. The other side is always stupid, selfish,
corrupt and evil.
Maybe the
answer is somewhere in the middle.
Funnily enough I've been pondering some of the same issues Joe - I wonder if they were prompted by the same thing ... I'm fairly in the middle with many of the above. I believe in freedom of choice (even the choice to make bad decisions) and I believe that there must be balance. There are mostly no right or wrong answers which perhaps makes me sound a little wishy washy - I do have strong views in some areas but tend on the whole to keep them to myself, practicing rather than preaching - hmmm, maybe I AM a little wishy washy ...
ReplyDeleteSomewhere in the middle is the answer. We are either too far right or too far left. In the middle would make much more sense to most of us.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day. ☺
Brilliant post, Cranky. That's what I've been saying for years: the extremists on both the left and the right are causing us grave harm. Common sense should tell us that the right path is somewhere in the middle, in compromise. Anyone remember "common sense"?
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, I might be a bit taken back if you gave me a peck on the cheek and wanted to hold my hand, but I could probably compromise and accept a wink. :)
S
')
ReplyDeleteAs annoying, frustrating, aggravating, etc. as these differences of opinions and arguments can be, I believe they must continue so that that somewhat "safe" middle (democracy)can be maintained. We're way far from perfect, but don't send me anywhere else to live.
ReplyDeleteKeep talking, asking, and writing, Cranky.
We need differing points of view to keep things balanced -- no one is right or wrong all the time. And sometimes extreme measures are necessary -- but usually only after common sense has not prevailed.
ReplyDeleteI keep hearing music...
ReplyDeleteStuck Here in the Middle With You
OMG, now I need a pill.
ReplyDeleteyou exhausted me.
ReplyDeleteThe answer to everything is in the middle, which is why the Roman's had a saying "...et in media res"--the middle road is safest.
ReplyDeletethat is the rub, isn't it? if you dare cast your lot folks assume you have to be all-in, no exceptions. once sides are drawn you can rest assured neither side is 'right'. so it seems
ReplyDeleteWell said. And oh, I wish our elected officials could somehow find that middle.
ReplyDeleteWe had it in the fifties. Then it got lost along the way. ok. I blame the effect of talk radio (among other things.)
ReplyDeleteI have butt splinters from straddling the fence. Sure would like some company.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, yes!
ReplyDelete"The middle" and "common sense" are highly underrated.
I am in the middle of doing my taxes right now. I wish I had not yet started, or that I was already done. The middle is not all it's cracked up to be.
ReplyDeleteBut the other side IS always stupid, selfish, corrupt and evil.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I'm concerned six year olds should be allowed to hold hands, even walk around the school yard with arms over each others shoulders like we did when we were kids. what the heck is wrong with that sort of thing? the world is becoming far too sanitised.
ReplyDeleteMost of the time staying in the middle is good. However I will always stay away from cigarettes and other drugs. Alcohol is forbidden in my faith.
ReplyDeleteI'm a firm believer that the best answer is usually somewhere in the middle. But - I live in Massachusetts where thinking in the middle is not often welcomed. I usually just keep my mouth shut.
ReplyDelete