Was there ever such thing as a moral middle-ground?
When we decided as a nation to allow and even extend slavery because it would enable us to create one nation — was that the “middle” ground? Middle of what? The middle between slavers and free people?
When we decided to kill every native American or “convert” every single member of every tribe to being “just like us” (and who are we, anyway?), was that middle ground?
Was refusing to discuss the cruelty of taking over this country and despoiling it without regard for its future ability to support other people, was that the middle-ground?
Was opening up Native “regions” to white settlement while simultaneously starving the original inhabitants — and pretending nothing was happening — was that middle-ground?
There is no middle-ground between cruelty and kindness. You are cruel or kind, but there’s nothing in between.
Destroying the earth or not destroying it … where is the middle-ground?
It’s not just about Trump and his politics. There has never been a middle-ground between good and evil. Pretending nothing is going on is not a middle-ground. Knowing about evil while pretending ignorance — or worse, intentionally remaining ignorant in the face is evil — is not higher ground.
Ignorance does not excuse you from getting a speeding ticket. It also does not excuse you from Hell, either. There is righteousness and there is corruption. There’s no place where you can sit on the fence and thus eliminate your involvement. Black or white, but not gray.
Not discussing politics doesn’t put you in a better position than any of the raging ranters on Facebook. Having better manners doesn’t make you a better person.
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Categories: good-and-evil, Marilyn Armstrong, Politics, right and wrong
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
I had saved this post to read later, and I forgot to do that. Luckily I found it today. You have said it straight. I agree with this a 100%. There is nothing “slightly bad” or “not that good” when it’s a question of values, morals and deeds.
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well said, and I appreciate you setting the example by not taking the Middle Ground.
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I honestly don’t think there IS a middle ground. We’re sort of caught between heaven and hell at the moment. I don’t see a safe patch on which to stand and wait it out.
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I hear you loud and clear. And, I’m pretty sure those who are still hanging on to their political ideals are rethinking things. I had some interesting dinner table conversations this last weekend–Crazy but different from before.
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I find the concept of hanging onto political “ideals” relating to Trump hilarious. WHAT ideals?
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The Bible talks of a man (read human being – gender non-specific) being unable to serve two masters. I think that’s what you’re getting at. Ultimately we must choose one side or the other. Not choosing is a choice too. Me? I remain blind, deaf and dumb to the idiocy and destruction of ‘my’ America (the one I grew up in, which seemed to make a whole lot more sense) because to pay attention is to become actively suicidal. It’s a choice for me to remain ignorant. I know that asshole (Trump) is evil, he’s insane, he never shuts up, and he’s made a mockery of “my” America. If you have a chance sometime, watch the film “The Majestic” (Jim Carrey, Laurie Holden, Martin Landau). It deals with another time when evil and lack of wit threatened ‘our’ America. The end of the film is the bit that I’d point you towards, because his speech to the “Committee on UnAmerican Acts” talks of what you are talking about.
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I know you keep away from it to hang on to your sanity but that’s not exactly the same thing. A lot of people think that by avoiding the subject, they are avoiding involvement. But “good men doing nothing” excuses nothing. If you believe in a God, I’m pretty sure that’s the human equivalent of “the dog ate my homework.”
Where the subject is good and evil, you don’t get off the hook by pretending nothing is going on. That’s how come there WAS a Holocaust and how come we managed to slaughter almost every Native American. After all, if you don’t KNOW, it’s not your problem.
But it IS your problem and it always will be. I’ll keep an eye out for the movie which I have not seen.
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You just have to take a stand on some things.
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Yes, you do. And being polite doesn’t excuse you from taking a moral stance. I think a lot of people actually think if they don’t talk about it, that’s the equivalent of being a better person. It isn’t. It never was.
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it’s the chicken way out….
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Do they eat chickens in heaven?
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just caviar and ice cream….
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