It's been over 3 years since I have posted anything on this blog. Even then, I was posting about little ideas...college football or the Oscars. When I began this endeavor, I had a lot of things to say about politics and frankly got in on the ground floor of blogging as a concept. The idea that I could share my ideas on the internet, and especially include links so that any reader might investigate for themselves, seemed like an awesome use of this technological advance. Much has changed since the early aughts. I am nearly 20 years older and so is this country. What once was a limited internet presence for certain points of views has now grown to Youtube influencers, established newspapers and magazines that have moved most of their content to the internet, twitter (shudder) and facebook (among others) in which people can tell you what they think immediately without coming up with a full cogent argument in lieu of a meme or graphic. In short, things have certainly changed.
I still hold my opinions, but don't wish to so readily share them as politics has changed on me. So has any chance that one could share an idea with others in which it might be considered with intellectual honesty and either agreed upon or discarded...or just discussed. I've lived long enough that I remember the days where Tip O'Neil and Ronald Reagan could argue to the public and then still have a drink together after. The idea that Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump might do something like that is so far from my comprehension...is part of the problem.
We now live in a age in which an idea that differs from your own should be silenced. God forbid someone else see it and possibly agree. We live in a country that values click views rather than actual reporting by the media and so get fantastical headlines unsubstantiated by any actual and verifiable information. We get political moments in which your guy or gal can never be wrong and my guy or gal is entirely wrong entirely every time and all the time. If you are against candidate John Doe and John Dope says A, then the response is automatically B. No thought, no consideration...just wrong and B. That's it and that's all. No more discussion is required. I don't know about you...but that is not how I grew up. That was not how I was educated. That was not how I was taught to think for myself. I had awesome teachers that I sometimes disagreed with but never once was I told that I was wrong to think something. I was instead told to consider it further.
I won't get into a long dissertation here about this or that other subject bugging me (though I do not promise that I might or might not if I can sustain this revitalization of this blog) but I did want to post a message to say that I am still here. I still think. I still have a point of view and I still think mine...and yours...is valid and should be heard and considered. 2020 has been a hard year for many (maybe all??) and there is a lot of pent up tension due to health concerns, a political election, financial concerns and just day to day living (suicide is up these days...have you heard?)
And I want to say to everyone that might read this (my great two and a half readers, if they are still there) that I think we can move past this moment in history and still exist as a body politic, a great nation, as good friends and as a population that can live with one another in harmony even with disagreement. It is still possible, if you can allow it. We are still capable, if we can do the work. The basis of this republic remains, if we can move through the process each time and see a fair and peaceful transfer of power whether you like it or not without trying to blow it up when it does not go the way you or others desired.
I remain an optimist and a pragmatist. That may seem mutually exclusive, but it's not. The optimism allows me to move through periods when things aren't going so great. The pragmatism helps me step back and see things for what they are rather than what I may wish they were. And finally, I am (or hope I am) always willing to hear other points of view whether they agree with mine own or not. That's how you understand history. That's how you understand politics. That's how you understand other people. Full stop...that is the only way to navigate this year or any other.
If I can sustain this new attempt to blog, I'll likely move back to college football (if we get it) or baseball (depending if the Braves go far) but I may well make my point of view known on many other subjects. As was told to me some few days ago on facebook "My page...my rules." Well this IS my page, that I pay for and have for nearly 20 years. I can promise you that any comment you make will not be censored unless you cross a line (disrespectful to others, antisemitic or racist, misogynist or just plain full on nutter) and I value opinions that are different than mine. I also value those with which you agree. More importantly, what I have always hoped for with this work was a chance to share my opinion and if others had interesting discussion to offer in return, I welcome it. I do not believe in censorship, I do not agree with the idea of "cancelling" an opinion or person for that matter, and I do not think that we, as a public, can move forward safely and healthily if we don't start listening to one another as opposed to shutting off differing views.
So I guess I'm back. This is likely not all, but I have to use my historic tagline. That is all.
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