Politically Homeless - There's No Place For Me

Real people, real letters, real problems, no solutions.

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 25:

Hi Bridget, 

I so appreciate your work to shed light on the frustrations associated with holding common-sense and nuanced views. I’ve lost friends on both sides of the political spectrum these past few years because I think Trump and his cronies are corrupt abominations, but also say, don’t think that burning down one’s own community is a particularly productive endeavor or that I should feel a deep sense of contrition because I happened to be born with white skin. Even writing this feels risky and controversial, which is so indicative of the times we live in. 

I actually wish we were friends so I didn’t feel quite so isolated in my thinking (wow, way to sound like a loser, Emma). Aside from a select few, I am largely surrounded by people who have fallen victim to the cult-like mentalities associated with the rabid, hypocritical right and the thought-policing, smug left. 

Here’s a rundown on me:  

- Hates Trump and thinks he’s a complete fucking embarrassment to this country 

- Has close friends of various races, sexual orientations and income levels because I judge people on their character and our common interests rather than arbitrary identity markers 

- Can’t abide looting or the destruction of private property 

- Owns a firearm 

- Has no interest in abolishing the police 

- Thinks the government has no business telling women whether or not they can get abortions, and believes contraception should be more widely available and accessible (especially to low-income women) 

- Is neither ashamed nor proud to be white; in fact am fairly ambivalent about it since it’s a trait I had zero say in 

- Supports the LGBTQ+ community unequivocally, but believes there is such a thing as biological sex and that to state thus does not constitute hate speech or transphobia

- Values science, and cares about tackling climate change 

- Observes that cultures borrow from and are inspired by each other all the time, and feels it should be celebrated/ encouraged rather than condemned 

- Considers facts and data more important than feelings or subjective reality 

- Feels partisanship will destroy this country 

- Has never believed in God and thinks religion has no place in most spheres of American life, let alone politics 

- Thinks no one should be above the law (including the president)

- Has no problem with people being billionaires (good for them)

- Believes in meritocracy as opposed to nepotism, cronyism or arbitrary quotas 

- Believes that if you disagree with something when the other party does it, you should hold your own party to the same standard 

TL; DR: I don’t think there’s any place for me in this ridiculous two-party system. 

Sincerely,

Politically Homeless

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.