Politically Homeless - What Is Happening To Us?
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 39:
5/10/23
I’ve always been a registered Independent. Coming from a family of Democrats, I leaned left, but their were certain policies I didn’t agree with and depending on the condition of the my country, state or county, I would split my ticket.
It was a wonderful and freeing place to be, both politically and socially. When political discussions popped up, I listened and others listened to me. I had some friends and relatives where certain subjects or policies were not brought up. We called these people “passionate” in their belief about that particular topic, and smiled. They were still our friends and family.
Those days are gone. Almost any subject evokes a “passionate” response. Most of the time it isn’t even about the subject matter. It’s about being “on the other side”. Everyone is on a team and they REALLY want to know which team I am on. If I say I’m an Independent they ask questions about current events to see if I’m really “those people”. If I answer unfavorably, I’m judged and sometimes discarded.
What is happening to us? We have always been a country that finds common ground, whether it be sports, entertainment, music… anything. Now we look for our differences and cross others off our list.
The people I disagree with most politically are still some of the people I count on the most and they count on me, but these are friends and family and the rare new friend who doesn’t like politics at all. Most now turn their backs rather than accept political differences as just a fact of life. It’s time to be less passionate and more accepting…or is it too late?
I’m so glad you’re doing this.
Thank you, Bridget. You’re wonderful.
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.
I completely relate. I have seen this a lot with friends in the U.K over Brexit. I know people who have actually ended friendhips over that! Madness! When I was young you didn't care much if someone voted Labour or Conservative. That's if you even knew (since people generally avoided discussing politics too much) And even when they did discuss it, they didn't end friendships over political or ideological differences. The attitude was generally 'Live and let live' and 'That's their business' except for maybe a small number of radicals. But now, your beliefs define you and mark you as good or bad, liberal or bigoted. No nuance, no in betweens. With us or against us. I really hope this is a short-lived nightmare, and people wake up.
Recognize that what is happening now is a divide and conquer strategy by the Oligarchs that run the USA in order to subjugate and more effectively rule over their most despised enemy, the American Middle Class. They use climate change and bigotry as excuses, but they don’t actually care about those things, except insofar as they can be used as weapons. it’s really just that they are mad that we elected the Bad Orange Hitler and we need to be punished for our rebellion. “Keep your slaves scared, stupid, sick, and poor, and they will never revolt or leave the plantation, comrade B. Gates.”