A balancing act

If you are reading this, you are un-American. At least in someone’s eyes. Which, in and of itself, should be eye-opening.

More than any other advanced nation, the United States requires work to be truly united. And even then, the belief that a nation as large and diverse as the United States could ever be totally united is Utopian. But for the last few generations of Americans, that should come as no surprise. All beliefs and ideologies are inherently Utopian. Whether your focus is the teachings of Marx, Milton Friedman, Jesus or the like, there are no human axioms that will ever reach a state of glorious perfection. Such is the human condition.

But while Utopia is a land too far, balance is an achievable and worthwhile goal. The devout likely understand this better than most. They can easily recognize that humans are fallible and perfection can never be achieved. Yet still the effort is made. The acceptance that one can never achieve perfection is looked at as a virtue amongst the truly faithful. Because it makes the effort toward perfection so much more noble. And whether one has theistic leanings or not, it is that recognition of humanity while working toward more that gives one the balance to live with comfort in their own skin.

In that way, the United States has lost its balance. With a political system that can somehow only support two views, both the left and right are at a point where they can only view the opposing side as wrong. And that has led to far too many believing that the opposing side is not just wrong, but an active enemy. Far too many Americans are looking into the eyes of us, and seeing an enemy.

The United States faces numerous challenges, but now the main challenge is not a tangible one. It is the belief that the answers to all our problems is inside a box, and that only certain people are looking for the keys, while others are not only not searching for the keys, but actively trying to destroy the box, the key, and the answers.

The term “melting pot” has been stricken from our vocabularies in this generation. It is time for it to be reintroduced. Because while the belief that there is some hallowed “center” we can all reach is as Utopian as any ideology, attempting a journey to this mythical area is far more noble than the journey to prove one’s stringent beliefs correct at all costs.

America is often a mixed-up nation, but that is where our strength lays. Whether a mixed economy, mixed beliefs, mixed races or mixed minds, it is when we strive for balance we can achieve the most. But too many can see only their own strengths while ignoring their weaknesses. Too many want their America, and not your America. Too many have stopped trying.

No one said the American experiment would be easy. But it will get a lot easier if we start making a balanced effort.