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Value-divided Americans

By PAUL EHMANN
First published: Monday, February 11, 2008

There's an awful lot of talk lately about a "divided America." I've been reconciling that for myself. I read the newspaper, watch the news, listen to talk radio and to NPR. It's too simple to think it's America that's divided when really it's me. I am a divided American. I am not alone.
Fiscally conservative, socially liberal, I'm politically homeless. I am pro-choice and, if that's what you want for yourself, pro-life. I'm a capitalist who doesn't need to be rich at the expense of others. I'm a BMW driving meat-eater married to a vegan who tools around in her Prius.
     
Divided? You bet.
Divided Americans like to be told the truth even if doesn't fit the party platform. Pro-peace and fiercely loyal, I'm a co-dependent patriot who craves diplomacy and wants the world to think better of me. I long for the simpler times when conversation trumped email and newscasts were about news -- not opinion, not profit.
Many divided Americans are like me. We believe the world was created by a power greater than ourselves, yet it evolved over several billion years. I have Christian values, yet I'm not going to "give it up for Jesus." I'm for churches and states.
Divided Americans like environmental conservation but have trouble bringing a canvas bag to the grocery store. Global warming gives us the shivers. So we turn up the heat and stay inside. We long to be asked to do something more for our country other than to "go shopping."
I lean toward tax and spend if the money is spent judiciously. But I'm a deficit spender if we can save money by borrowing it. Government economists cry that we Americans spend more than we make. Divided Americans would like to be shown how it's done.
We are rankled by the prospect of having to choose from the same two parties, where each assumes that lying and exaggeration about our country's ill health is actually reasonable. Today's politics have beaten me down. I'm tired of the partisanship. Yet all I can do is lean to the left and complain. Republicans are lockstep lemmings while Democrats can't find a way to the truth. Turns out divided Americans simply want to do the right thing. Our leaders should do the right thing too.
So I say let's get back to the Golden Rule. The ethic of reciprocity. Stop lying and posturing and realize that division comes from within. Pressure comes from without. I'm a third-party guy in a two-party world. Divided Americans crave integrity. We simply hope an honest leader will emerge. But come November, we will choose. Paul Ehmann lives in Loudonville.