I had the privilege of being invited to the Patch's debate watching party. Since I do not have cable it was nice to watch it live and be there with the group. I have been paying attention to the race, but mostly from the newspapers of which the Wall Street Journal editorial section is probably my favorite.
I must say that I am registered as a Republican OR a Democrat (No, not a typo...you can guess which, if you think it really matters). I very much dislike the division that those labels cause amongst us. If I were to define myself I would say that I am a fiscal conservative (Yes, I balance my own checkbook and am responsible for my own finances) and I have a heart for the underprivileged amongst us.
After the debate they asked us how many were of which party and then interviewed us individually about how we thought the debate went, but what was more interesting were the discussions amongst us aftewards.
We had some pretty in depth (and civil) discussions between both camps, as it were! One thing that I came away with? We need to stop letting labels define and divide us. Many of the most pressing issues of our time can be sorted out for the benefit of us all. What it will take is to parse out the things that can be solved and keep some of the more divisive social issues apart.
I had a great time talking with several folks and , as a result, have a whole different outlook on the future.
Don't let imagined differences divide what is left of our country. Find the common ground. That takes time and patience and knowledge. Don't accept things as true until you really take time to investigate what is true. And don't lump all your issues into one side. That is like saying oranges grow on apple trees.
What side am I on? The side of doing the right thing. Being responsible for yourself and caring for others that need help. Look beyond your backyard and your feelings and come together as a country on the things we can agree on.
