It’s easy to have passions, thoughts, and feelings
When issues are written seemingly in black and white
The politicians (and media) tell you
It’s this party or that party
Not a whole lot of talk of the in-between
You read a story
Watch a movie
Regardless of the actions
The plot line always thickens
The emotions ride high
To lead you to favor
Any and all characters
Despite their intentions
But when you take a step back
You realize
The same issue you hoped the villain to overcome
Is the same issue you fight against in reality
Then you meet the “issue” in person
“Those people” became your friends
Your neighbors
Your coworkers
Keep it quiet, shhh, even family
All of sudden
That issue that was black and white
Has a name
Has a reason
Has a why
What you thought was straight forward
Was merely a lie
That the media portrayed
To sell more lies
To keep us divided
On two separate sides
Soon you start asking questions
Raising eyes
To decipher the lies
What was once black and white
Became shades of grey
It’s all fun and games
Until they become real people
Lives are at stake
Do we know what we’re missing?
You discovered the ideals and views
You were raised with
Was from an older generation
Of simpler times
Where silence was golden
And noise wasn’t silver
You try to share your new perspective
With family and others
Some are progressive
Others are regressive
You can search all day
For the perfect answers
To clear out the fog
That lies in their minds
But you can’t always undo
Sixty years of lies
Even when they friend
“Those kind of people”
They caveat everything with
“No offense”
Or
“Thank goodness you’re not like them”
When inside “Those people”
They’re really
Cringing
Because “those kind of people”
Are really their own individuals
Not to be confined
Into any single box
So maybe one day
We’ll all wake up
To a world in which
We don’t have to label
Republican Here
Democrat There
Where we all work together
For the good
Of all
Our people
