Politics these days have become so divided and divisive that it’s become the norm to view the other side of the aisle as “the enemy”. People are being told to “pick a side” and that there’s no room for middle ground. We here at Phetasy believe that there are a lot more people in the middle than politicians and the media would have us believe.
We’re collecting stories from the ever growing number of people who are finding themselves Politically Homeless and posting them here on Substack. If you have moved from conservative to liberal, or liberal to conservative, if you feel you’ve stayed in the same place and your party has swerved drastically away from you, if you had a moment that awakened you to the insanity and hypocrisy on both sides, if you keep your mouth shut anytime a political topic comes up because you’re afraid your opinion will cause you to lose friends or your job, you’re not as alone as you might think.
Our goal is to shine a light on people’s earnest, individual experiences and show them they’re not alone.
Some letters have been edited for clarity and brevity. If you’re politically homeless and would like to share your story, please email us at iampoliticallyhomeless@gmail.com. All submissions will remain anonymous.
Letter 97:
June 11, 2024
Dear Bridget,
Thank you for this forum and for all the wonderful content you and your team create every single week!
Here is my story-
My mother was stalwart in her conviction that the US President would never lie. My brother insisted the opposite - that national leaders do indeed lie, cover-up and abuse the powers of their office. As a federal employee, my dad related the latest interaction of an agency leader being called to congressional hearings to whatever suited the legislator's ambition of the day. Pundits, late night talk show hosts, and news media had an endless supply of source material regarding actions in the White House.
It sounds a lot like this could be any family gathering in the last 5 years but this was actual dinner table conversation decades ago.
The day I became politically homeless was August 8, 1974. As a bright and eager 5th grader, my family and a friend were visiting the tourist attractions in DC. It was just the typical summer sight-seeing, with stops at The Smithsonian, the Lincoln, Jefferson, and Washington Memorials, and of course a walk down Pennsylvania Avenue to see the White House. I distinctly remember crowds that felt like a parade atmosphere along with a random scattering of perpetual protesters.
As we approached the White House, I have a vivid memory of a middle-aged woman speaking to her demons – either “he’s a crook” or “the end is near.” She was wearing a bucket hat covered in campaign buttons dating back to Eisenhower. I saw Dan Rather in Lafayette Park, standing on a crate in front of TV cameras covering the breaking news. But the final memory of that day was watching the helicopter leave the south lawn of the White House with a disgraced President Nixon on board.
The President of the United States resigned from leading the free world that day because he was caught in a cover-up of campaign shenanigans. The VP had resigned the prior year for bribery and corruption. The media had played a major role in swaying public opinion on the integrity of the highest levels of government. Seriously, are we not in this same cycle of political behavior in 2024 that was unacceptable in 1974?
I developed a very strong sense of skepticism about our national leaders after that event and the stories told about them. The decades since have only reinforced my perspective that political machinery is for the candidate and not for the benefit of the public. Even my mother recognized that presidents and politicians lie and she loves everybody. Even so, I refuse to give up entirely on the American experience of representative government but no political party will ever have my undying allegiance. I want candidates I can vote for in approval and not against in disgust.
Until then, Politically Homeless is the perfect place for me and here I will remain.
Some letters have been edited for clarity and brevity. If you'd like to share your story, email us at iampoliticallyhomeless@gmail.com. All submissions will remain anonymous.
Check your media bias. Read the news from multiple perspectives. See through media bias with reliable news from local and international sources with Ground News
Share this post