I am Unaffiliated, and I will stay that way. This has some people scratching their heads, and even making accusations, so I want to address it.

I am not Unaffiliated because I love both parties so much, and I just can’t pick which one I like better.

I am Unaffiliated because I think both parties have deep-seated problems I simply can’t overlook, and I find neither to be an acceptable platform. I think both sides go too far with their beliefs, but more importantly, I think both parties and the media put entirely too much focus on pushing Americans to one extreme side.

I believe that America is in the middle, and I’m beginning to be resentful of the push coming from the parties to be as divided as possible.

United we stand. Divided we fall.

The first attributed use of this slogan in modern times is to Founding Father John Dickinson in his pre-Revolutionary War song “The Liberty Song”, first published in the Boston Gazette in July 1768. In the song Dickinson wrote: “Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all! By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall!”

In short, this sentiment is as American as apple pie and fireworks on 4th of July.

You will see me speaking out against things the Republican party does. You will see me speaking out against things the Democrat party does. Both on a national and local level. This doesn’t mean that I don’t like you, a Republican, or you, a Democrat. I see you all as my neighbors, and I feel that as your representative, it would be my duty to represent your beliefs.

I feel that people on both sides fall into the trap of accepting everything on their party’s platform without questioning each thing individually. No one is right all the time, and that goes for parties too. I think it’s our responsibility to make our own choices on issues, instead of looking to the crowd. I will challenge you to look at policies individually. I will challenge you to push towards the center instead of towards the sides, if you have to push.

So how do I vote?

Well, I’ve been eligible to vote in 5 Presidential elections, and I voted in all of them. I have voted red. I have voted blue. I have voted green. I truly am Unaffiliated.  I find it terribly easy to see both sides of any situation, and less easy to choose one side. Fortunately many of the issues that are most divisive for us as a nation are not things that we can decide at a local level.

You can count on me to listen to your opinions, and you can know that while doing so, my ears and heart and mind are open. I do not engage in the kind of listening that is really just waiting for you to stop talking so I can give my opinion.  I will listen to you, and my opinions are always open to change, because that’s the only logical way to be. No one has all the information about anything, so our minds must be open to learn new information and adjust our beliefs based on it.

A challenge:

The media is driving us apart in a very real and tangible way. I encourage you to choose 2 news sources, each equidistant from the center on opposite sides, and watch them for a week. I’ve been doing this for years and what I’ve found is that the bias is ASTOUNDING. Some information is just left out, while other information is spun. Both sides do this. Below, I’m posting a media bias chart to assist you in selecting media sources for this challenge. If you participate, please do let me know your conclusions! And as always, I am open to hearing your opinions.