We’re Choking On Our Words
<p>My words are failing me. Writing, of course, is only a proxy for understanding the world. But, as it teeters on a precipice, I’m trying to find words to make sense of it. No matter what our politicians tell us, the world is not black and white. Instead, it’s full of grays. We encounter these shades of gray daily but are often blind to them. They’re messy and don’t make our world easy to understand. And our words reflect that. We’re frustrated and lash out without thinking. It’s easier to believe what we want to believe without questioning.</p>
<p>Reactionary rhetoric has subsumed logic and intelligent commentary. Truth and discourse are eroding. “Alternative facts,” said with straight faces, are maddening. Words are given no respect; we toss them around with little thought but with a lot of anger. This is happening across the political spectrum, and finding our voices has become more difficult. That’s why so many are yelling.</p>
<p>Social media magnifies this by acting as an extremist megaphone. In reality, the United States is a centrist country. But our political structures divide us, reducing our collective voices into Gerrymandered congressional districts and Electoral College votes and via a flawed primary system that accentuates intolerance. Fear fuels our elections and governance.</p>
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