It is okay, and at times it is necessary, to be difficult; (i.e. doubt, ask questions, debate alternatives). It is never okay to lack empathy and a reasoned awareness. Of course, the difficulty therein is the ability to balance the (often) frenzied activity of being difficult with the thoughtfulness required for reason and empathy. When I pull back to consider my actions and their impact, I may lose momentum or someone else may pick it up and take it in a different direction. When I charge full steam ahead with little consideration for fallout, I may bulldoze innocent bystanders. So do I risk overthink? Or underthink?

Perhaps this has always been a factor differentiating those who take charge and those who let them; those who manipulate and those who deliberate; those who pretend and those who care. The challenge today though seems to have changed. Instead of stepping back to thoughtfully consider actions and then stepping back in to contribute to the flow, today it feels like one must forego debate, reason and empathy in order to keep up. When I do make an effort toward reasoned awareness, the challenge today is finding the flow once I am ready to step back in. Today those who are in charge are not only bulldozing innocent bystanders, but also the surrounding landscape in order to limit and control those invited to contribute. They are doing this by narrowing the channel, redirecting the flow, and strategically damming certain tributaries, thus reducing and even stopping the flow to some areas and rewarding other areas with an excess. There has always been a contingent of those in charge who work to maintain status quo and suppress rival thought, but today the divide and the numbers on each side are such that it feels less of a back and forth and more of a do or die; less of a give and take and more of a take and take more; far less of an overthink and far more of an underthink; less of a democratic republic and more of an authoritarian oppression. This all feels true on both a small and a large scale. Yet on any scale, to be difficult with no reason, empathy or debate, is not leadership; it is ignorance. And looking at all of this on the larger scale, it feels like we have split our one nation into two competing factions; and one faction has taken the lead. But I am not so sure, today, it would be much different if the other faction were in control. It feels today like this larger divide is so deep and so dangerous, (with no flow or natural growth, and sheer walls in some places, and jagged and falling rocks in other places, and constant tremors and upheaval for those of us standing in the dried-up riverbed looking up), that we may never find our way out. More so than at any time in my 60 years, I am seriously afraid for America; and by extension, for Humanity.

I had an active hope that perhaps the faction working to catch up might pull together and work to unite. At this critical juncture we need someone to stabilize foundations, level floors, shore up walls, carve steps and build bridges. Instead we have Democrats and Republicans.

Bottom line is this: a majority of us must somehow meet in the middle. From the middle, on both the large and the small scale, we must seek and empower moderation. In the second sentence above I said, “It is never okay to lack empathy and a reasoned awareness,” yet that is exactly what is lacking on and in the extremes. But, I don't believe that today our extremes are any more extreme than they have ever been; I believe though that today our extremes (what we used to call the fringes) have become far more powerful than they have ever been. I believe that our progressive-moderate to conservative-moderate middle still represents a majority of Americans, but because the actual majority has also come to represent the conformist-follower-disenfranchised-minority-immigrant-underprivileged-uninformed mass, we have made it easy for the fringes to hijack our power. I can also see why and how the extreme right is ahead. And I am beginning to believe that because of their fear tactics and their appeal to nationalism and traditionalism (i.e. change is bad), and because the moderate left and extreme left cannot come together in the universal oneness that they so enthusiastically espouse on most other fronts, the extreme right will continue to stay ahead. And I am afraid.

The middle is boring, and often appears to be a do-nothing road. But that is where we need to be. Under ideal circumstance, the evolution of our thought should be a slow process. We must start in the middle, carefully feel our way right and left, and (often specific to a single issue) accordingly adjust our position. They will be small adjustments, but over time, (look back 50 and 100 years ago), the middle shifts. Lurching and/or speedy adjustments create vertigo and nausea, though much less so for those at the helm.

I have recently said that radical change is necessary for the well being and (even) for the survival of Humanity. And I believe that. Yet above I claim that change is a slow process; and I agree that it should be. So perhaps I should temper previous statements by saying radical thought is necessary to move us toward radical change before radical action becomes necessary. When it becomes an in-your-face, (for some of us it already is), question of survival, you can bet the majority will be on board for radical change. Yet within our system, it will still take many small adjustments over a period of time. I like our system. I believe a significant majority of us like our system. A constitutional democratic republic suits us well. Today, the faction (i.e. fringe) with the lead is working outside of our system. Today, the faction (i.e. fringe) working to catch up appears comfortable within the power structures created and situated outside of our system. To work within our system, we must work from the middle. If we wait too long, we will have no choice but to work outside of our system. Today we must begin the painstaking, baby-step process, on both large and small scales, of electing leaders closer to the middle; and we must actively hope it is not too late.

In the meantime, we have the Democrats and the Republicans.