I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but here in the US we have become a country where there are only 2 answers to any political or social issue. Whichever one you agree with you will defend with every ounce of vigor and more importantly you will point out 1000000 reasons why people who believe the OTHER answer is correct are complete and utter morons. This both baffles and infuriates me.
When you go to the grocery store there are hundreds of different kinds of cereal. When you go to the mall there are many different styles of jeans. When you go to buy paint there are seemingly thousands of shades of beige. We do not live in a black and white world. Outside of math tests there are almost no scenarios that only have two possible answers.
The recent attacks in Paris is the most recent example of this bipolar approach we take to all world and national events. There were two socially acceptable ways to respond to this event online: #1 post memes of the Statue of Liberty crying or ones that say “Pray for Paris”. #2 Post memes of military forces (often in connection with the Statue of Liberty) or demand we start dropping bombs. It’s either curl up and cry or kill someone- nothing in between.
I’d like to think that as a nation and as decent human beings we can do better than this. But quite frankly I’m losing hope. It’s been said that the only thing that would reunite this country was another 9/11. Given our reaction to the events in Paris I fear it would do the exact opposite. And I pray we never have to find out.