F*ck Teams, I'm In The Middle

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 31:

10/30/22

I'm a 53-year-old black woman from South Dakota. I served in the US Army after high school and have since been recovering. PTSD and TBI are part of the challenges accompanying me as I grow into my subsequent obsessive pursuit. Another challenge is watching my nation remain divided by color-coded teams. It hurts my feelings after serving to come home to a declining country. I gave everything and am still paying while surviving. It's a privilege I wasn't promised.

I'm unwilling to stand by and watch it all burn down. At the same time, I refuse to force my values on those who disagree to the degree they cannot live with it. I moderate the middle deliberately. I aim there on purpose because from that point, no matter what happens, I'll be at least halfway there. I merely have to pivot so my values and those of other Americans are something we can all live with. I won't have to run back and forth between the extremes as if those are the only options.

I remain willing to compromise enough to prevent civil war with my beloved countrymen. Why would I risk my life on others' behalf, then refuse to compromise my values enough to make all our sacrifices worth it? I am not so rigid; I disallow my neighbors to pursue their idea of life, liberty, and happiness. I'm not a dictator or something. I just want people to live by the code of law that allows us all to exist peacefully together. I believe many of the systems are corrupt as fuck. I also think they have merit when consequences for cheating exist and are transparently enforced.

The burn-it-all-down ideology is tired. Ideologism is death to humanity. We're imperfect, self-centered, and a wee bit violent. Also, many other things, all at the same time. No fairytale philosophy will pass the bullshit test of reality. Stop imagining utopia, and help us make existence possible in the future? That's why I think politics suck in general. I would never vote in straight party lines because my dad warned me of this trick when I first voted. It's reinforcing the status quo as if our lives are sports teams. Gross.

I like the sports when I'm playing, but as an adult, the binary mentality is constantly under scrutiny. Our political system is a binary disaster, and I'm worried the teams will stampede and kill us all in their blind lust for attention as a team red or blue member. Some people in leadership positions in America should not be allowed outside their homes without adult supervision. It's frightening. I'm all in for discussing how we can correct human behaviors that we all have but aren't working out collectively. We are a pivot away from remedying many of our woes as a country. We should focus on solutions and being helpful citizens. Thanks for what you do and for lifting quiet voices. You rule.

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.