People in the center, those who have thoughtful opinions and concerns, have abandoned (for good reason) the political process. The majority of us are in an untenable place. The polarized, accentuated positions by the far right and left leave us with no room to rationally debate serious policy issues.
Politics is the problem, not policy. Politics is too conflict-laden. Meaningful conversations only seem to happen in hushed tones in backrooms. I can’t tell you the number of times I have randomly been pulled aside (by store clerks, aerobic instructors, wait staff, etc.) who, upon seeing my Democrat pin, whisper encouragement and agreement, often saying “I can’t talk about it in here, but thanks for running.”
There’s no way we can develop policy if we can’t be civil to each other. We need to bring sanity back and engage Virginians in respectful, rational, well-intended conversations. Let’s put an end to catch-phrase politics. Let’s face it; all it does is allow politicians to hit the snooze button on the real issues.
Let’s talk immigration.
If you have worries about immigration, you have to choose a side. You can either join the side labeled as racist or the side labeled as fools. What kind of choice is that? You don’t have to be racist to be for stricter immigration rules. You don’t have to be naive to support sanctuary cities. That being said, there are racists who hate immigrants and there are naive, bleeding heart liberals. But neither should hijack the full conversation needed to generate the best solutions for Virginia and our district.