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 95:
May 30, 2024
I grew up outside of Atlanta, and my grandfather was a huge influence on my political and world views when I was young. Starting in high school, I began to be more critical and sometimes just contrarian. Eventually, I started to come to a place where I could see nuance in different issues instead of being stuck in a binary of good vs. bad.
After graduating, I went to college at a large public university where I was an education major. I loved my experience at school, and I was able to interact with people of so many varying backgrounds and views. Some of my long-held beliefs were challenged while others were refined. As I began to examine issues with more care, I started to see hypocrisy that existed in the system in which most of my family and community were entrenched. I tried to push back on the good vs. bad narrative held by my grandfather when I went to visit, but any challenge was met with anger and ad hominem attacks. There was no discussion or good faith arguments, just us vs. them beliefs. Because I was saying something different, I was now the enemy. The irony of it all was that I had done what I had been told: “Do good in school,” “Go to college,” “Get your degree.” Apparently, I missed the tacit instruction of not learning to think for myself and instead keep repeating what I was told when I was young.
Since graduating from college, I worked for a few years in various fields, and then started a master’s program in a different field. My curiosity and appreciation for nuance has only grown. In some spaces I have become more liberal while in others more conservative. While going through this process, my safe space, the church, which comforted me for so much of my life, started becoming increasingly divisive. The love that I was told we were supposed to show others began to be replaced by hatred of anyone different. The institution as a whole appeared all too comfortable to excuse the abusive conduct of leaders and big names with large followings. Any disagreement was met with condemnation and exile. Somehow, I have managed to dodge many of these types of experiences, but it is a story that is driving so many people from a place that is supposed to be welcoming, loving, and non-judgmental. And the driving force behind all of this division and harm: blind allegiance to a single political party that, in my view, does nothing to actually love and care for anyone.
All of this chaos surrounding me has forced me to seek a middle path. I have sought spaces where people can see past disagreements and into the humanity of all people. I try to not stay in echo chambers that reinforce harmful beliefs or ideas. I have a diverse group of friends that disagree on issues but always care for each other as human beings. Intellectual consistency and humility have become my main pursuits instead of groping around in the dark trying to hold onto anything that supports my potentially flawed ideas even if it directly contradicts my values and faith. Trying to cut this new path has been difficult and lonely. The systems for people trying to do a similar thing just are not there, and it seems like it is nearly impossible for us to find each other, but I have hope. While I am politically homeless now, I choose to keep moving forward with the hope that something better will come in the future, even if I have to build it myself.
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.
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Seeking Middle Ground Is Lonely - Politically Homeless