<\/p>\n
There is a saying in political circles that the only thing in the middle of the road is a possum that has met an untimely end in a car tire, and the victim usually has a yellow line painted by the department of roads<\/p>\n
I’m hearing from friends on both the political left and the right who are beginning to feel that, however well-considered and measured their opinions may be, they must prevent that truck coming down the highway from being jolted violently by ‘left to right, depending on who is in charge. <\/p>\n
Like the Opossum, we are inches away from being flattened.<\/p>\n
There is a combination of extremism and vitriol that is limiting our ability as a society to move forward and do anything.<\/p>\n
We no longer talk or campaign ideas. We are spewing hate and intolerance, even among ourselves.<\/p>\n
A fellow Democrat was viciously attacked by members of his own party for not falling in line and worshiping at the altar of global climate change. <\/p>\n
Republicans who do not join the extreme right risk being labeled a RINO (Republican In Name Only) or a closet liberal. <\/p>\n
Or worse.<\/p>\n
Those of us with an affinity for critical thinking know that there are no simple answers, and we recognize that cookie-cutter approaches often fail, but in order to please the disgusting extremists on both sides, we stay silent or let some short-sighted extremist and intolerant sticks. a label about us.<\/p>\n
None of this will lead to the best possible decisions. Those that come from civil discourse and compromise are often win-win decisions, but they are not popular or preferred when the “win at any cost” mentality, instilled by the extremes, prevails.<\/p>\n
The fact is, most of us are really somewhere in the middle. We don’t want extremes. We want good rational solutions. Solutions that we, as a community, will never get to unless we start having a respectful dialogue that is devoid of those deal-breaking terms of “you always” and “you never.”<\/p>\n
Political parties do this to each other and effectively eat their youth. Each has an echo chamber driven by its own “crazy fringe.”<\/p>\n
In 2014, we had a seismic political shift in West Virginia. I never believed we would be the solid Republican state we are today. This policy change didn’t happen because Republicans had better ideas and built a better mousetrap. It happened because far-left Democrats took over nationally and decided they didn’t like the values \u200b\u200bof West Virginia. Or West Virginia Energy. Or the second amendment. Or anything the Midwestern Virginian did.<\/p>\n
And like it or not, what they were selling was what you were going to get.<\/p>\n
This did not work out well for the Democrats.<\/p>\n
Now we are bringing the exact same extremism to our communities. I know there are Republicans who are against the consumption of alcohol of any kind and will find the activities and music of the Party in the Plaza disgusting. <\/p>\n
If you don’t like it, don’t go.<\/p>\n
Just as there are Democrats who are not in favor of the LGBTQ community having its celebration in the same square. <\/p>\n
Again, if you don’t like it, don’t go.<\/p>\n
Your hate and vitriol won’t change anyone’s mind. If anything, it will probably harden its position.<\/p>\n
No one on either side of the political spectrum wants to be represented individually or as a group by a rude extremist spokesperson. As long as this continues, we will continue to receive bad governance as if we asked for it.<\/p>\n
It’s time for those of us in the middle, the Opossum, to take the reins and return to reason, sanity, and the higher decisions that only respectful civil discourse can provide.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, I have these tires to avoid.<\/p>\n
Republican Dolph Santorine of Wheeling is secretary of the Ohio County GOP Executive Committee.<\/p>\n
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