MAWA

One of the cooler consequences of my experiences is that I can open a history book, point to a picture, and tell my kids the names of everyone in the picture. It’s something that I can do that a lot of the people I went to school with can’t, and that makes me proud. Not arrogant proud, but proud in what I did kinda proud. I walked with the wolf pack, and was counted as an equal among them. And the greatest thing about being a part of that pack was that race, creed, and even orientation didn’t really matter. All that mattered was that you were a member, and our members took care of one another- unless you failed to take care of the members, in which case you were ostracized. We weren’t progressive- we just didn’t care about silly shit like what you worshiped or your genetic lineage (though we ragged each other about it regularly).

It’s by far the best thing about being a Marine, and my favorite thing about being an American. Merit matters, not the uncontrollable that we get stuck with. Yet, there are still those in this nation who seem to think that the uncontrollable is more important than the content of a person’s character, and it’s enlightening- though disconcerting- when you are on an uncensored platform and you come across that portion of society. Even in 2019, when we’re supposed to have progressed beyond such infantile notions as racism and religious superiority, you can still find people who prescribe to these beliefs. It’s sad, but something we have to contend with.

Contending with this phenomena is where the left and the right differ. The left- the “progressive” left- wants to silence anyone and anything that they disagree with. Racists, white supremacists, sexual realists, religious fanatics- it’s easy to find a group they want silenced- and they’ll shadow ban or ban these groups openly in their march toward social purity. Left with no place to vent their frustrations or promote their ideas, they migrate to sights like Minds or Bitchute. I’ve never run across a racist or misogynist post on Facebook (possibly because I don't go looking for them), but scrolling through Minds and Bitchute, I can find that content in five minutes. It’s made one thing quite clear to me.

Censorship doesn’t work.

All pushing one side away from the open spaces does is force those who agree with that side into different spaces. Because talking about certain topics is verboten on YouTube or Facebook by the cancel mobs, those views congregate here and elsewhere and become their own echo chamber of bad ideas. This can’t be allowed to continue if we are to remain a free and open society. If we want to progress socially, we have to be willing to confront bad ideas like white nationalism and socialism and argue the counter points in an honest, rational, and polite way. Screeching at the other side, calling them names, and deriding their intelligence, won’t bridge the divide and make America whole again. The fracture line in this nation can’t be repaired with name calling and inflammatory language- they can only be repaired by a willingness to listen, understand the other side, and come to the table with rational solutions to the problems they see that we can all be ok with.

Yes, that means working across the aisle. Yes, that means accepting that people think differently to us. Yes, that means forgiving missteps and transgressions. Yes, that means protecting and supporting the ability of those we disagree with to voice their opposition to things we are passionate about, and have tough conversations. Yes, that means accepting that people are people regardless of their physical characteristics or the beliefs in their heads. We can’t afford to continue this process of smashing what we don’t like. The riots need to stop. The anger and hatred needs to be done away with. This superiority complex that each side feels towards the other has to be squashed. Whether you’re altright, Progressive Left, white nationalist (or the opposite), TERF, pro LGBT, anit LGBT, fundamentalist Christian, radical Muslim, pro-2A, anti-gun- we need to talk to each other before things really get bad.

I’ve seen what a tyrannical state can do to a people. Seen the difference that destroying REAL tyranny can do in just a few years. Many haven’t. Those experiences came at a price, and I want that price to pay dividends here. Yes, there are problems in the world, and yes, America has some issues herself. But we can’t fix those problems by digging in and fortifying our positions at the expense of conversation. We must stop this cycle, and come to the table. Understand why those on the other side believe as they do, and work to bridge that gap. Destroy the falsehoods through conversation, and again become the freest, most inclusive nation the world has ever seen.

We can only do it together. It’s not an “us versus them” event. It’s an “us” event. So stop breaking things up, and help me Make America Whole Again.