The Truth Sits in the Middle and Knows

 By CE Marshall

We dance round in a ring and suppose,

But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.

                                                    Robert Frost 

     I've always liked this small poem (it's called a couplet, I just learned) by Robert Frost, but to me it sounds better if you say "truth" instead of "secret".   The truth has always sat with moderate Americans- The Silent Majority- they used to be called. I believe we've lost something important in our society in that the middle, or the politically moderate no longer have much power and the extremes of both parties hold sway of the population.  But the middle, or an open- minded look at any political topic warrants the most truth and benefit to all of us.  We no longer have open debate !  All conversation is biased towards one side or another.  With the internet this difference has been aggravated by the echo chamber of X (previously known as Twitter) and other social media platforms where you can choose who you listen to and the differences become more and more pronounced.  Opposing ideas are non-existent.  The "other" side is evil, devious, and not to be trusted or considered.   The truth is silenced. 

     I was once told by a close friend that I'm not at all in the middle and the title of this blog is not accurate to my true opinions- it's a misnomer.  He says I'm to the extreme right.   I disagree, I am very much in the middle of people who are willing to listen to other opinions.  The left has gone so far left that their main talking points are not even legitimate points to me.  Their conversation and debates are hysterical and shrill.  They simply won't listen to other opinions.  It doesn't help that the media and whoever is running our government are fully in favor of their extremist ideas because it behooves them- the reasons are the subject of another blog.   The Deep State, or "Mad King George" as I like to call them,  are making a lot of money and maintain all their power through the mouth breathing thoughts of the "rank and file" Democrats.  These days are a special consideration regarding moderate politics,  in that the Democrats themselves have become the problem itself.  They are not a political party- they are the government itself.  I AM in the political middle of ideas regarding how our government and society should be run based on liberty, truth and justice not based on feelings, victimhood and virtue signalling.  I am open to the idea of government participation in our lives with reasonable restrictions- but not at the sacrifice of the blubbery, obscene bureaucracy that we have and pay for today.  I stand for a truth that looks and hears both sides of debates. 

     I can remember a time when people had reasonable debates and the media did not dictate their opinion to the public.  It was hard to detect any "side" from the media (The big three networks- ABC, NBC, CBS) were reasonable in their coverage and fair with opinions and debates.  The newspaper industry was not owned by a handful of liberally biased conglomerates the way it is today.  They at least appeared neutral.  Once the cable news industry started up in the 1980's,  the news became a 24 hour "thing".  You can't fill 24 hours with news everyone has heard over and over-- so, the media itself becomes the news.  And it's not profitable news if you're not angry and shrill, and hysterical and full of venom.  Honestly,  the state of the media is truly evil today.  There is no middle ground, there are only hysterical comments, name calling, finger pointing, fear mongering.  They stir the pot and profit from our fears and bias.  Common ground is neither covered 'nor discussed.  The truth is no longer the endeavor of the media- it's money and power that motivates them.  

   So, I crave the truth and I am determined it comes back into fashion.  

We dance round in a ring and suppose,

But the Truth sits in the middle and knows.

In My Humble Opinion.... 

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Chuck Marshall   

 

   

Role of Government...... to Enforce Manners ?

By Chuck Marshall

Miss Manners

     The title of this blog "Marshall in the Middle"  implies  my belief in a more moderate political angle (and a moderate approach to many things in life, but that's another topic).   I usually see both sides of issues and I feel I usually understand "why" the right or left feels and act as they do.  That being said, I do tend to have ideas that I think are much more pragmatic than other people which leans my core ideas of what the government should and should not be doing towards the right.   I just feel things usually work better without the government involved in the challenging issues of the day.   Case in point;  the responsibilities of the courts to uphold "fairness" in business activities.   Much of this spins from all the recent controversy involved in the state laws  that seem to allow a business to refuse service to a homosexual citizen.   

     If I ran a business, such as restaurant, I would welcome anyone who came in- as long as they behave themselves, are respectful of other customers, and they pay their bill.  To me, this is just good manners and the right thing to do (and - as luck would have it- is congruent to my morals as an active Christian man).  Does that mean everybody else in the world needs to judge "proper" behavior the same way as I do ?  Of course not !  That's why we have different businesses and we should all be free to go where we're comfortable.   If  I, a heterosexual white man, went to a business run by a gay man and they refused me service because I was straight I would be very insulted and outraged, however I'm not sure that's the government's problem.  Why do I need the government to fix the narrow mindedness and insulting habits of this one situation?   Word of mouth and my not returning to the business would hurt them and eventually they would probably go out of business anyway.  The problem solves itself.  

     This is not to say that government involvement has never been necessary.  In the south of 50 years ago a black person could not sit at the lunch counter of a Walgreens drugstore or even enter certain businesses.    That was an off-shoot of great bigotry and the horrific slave owning history of the south.  That situation required government action at that point in time, but as is often the case,  I'm not sure  laws enforcing business to allow everyone into their establishment are still necessary. Wouldn't word of  mouth from a bigoted business eventually sink them today?  Bad manners are bad manners and they will eventually cause the failure of the narrow minded, bigoted business.  

     In public places the law of the land should be to shield anyone from being refused access.  This includes corporations, ie  publicly traded companies (Walgreens, McDonalds, etc...) because by their very name they are a part of the public realm and all existing laws are warranted.  But do all "private" businesses have to be legislated and ordered to allow and serve customers they don't want ?   Isn't it their right to have bad manners and suffer the consequences that come with that?  The left always sees the government as the answer to a problem.,, but I seriously do not think that laws can make us all be  nice to each other.   Manners just as many other issues in life are better left to each citizen to decide.  Much of all this reminds me of George Orwell's novel "1984" where the government had such control over people that you couldn't even "think" things that were contrary to government edicts.  I sincerely care about all people and do my best to be fair in all situations but I can't agree with people who believe the government should be "fixing" us of our "bad thoughts".   Leave people alone and let them make their own mistakes.  Government action rarely is necessary to "fix" bad thoughts.  Hateful, bigoted, angry thoughts usually circle back around to fix the "thinker" as a natural consequence and often serves to teach the "thinker" a lesson or two. Such is the way of the Universe not Washington, DC.  The government brings conflict and lawsuits, and angry citizens and simmers distrust and dislike between people because it is simply not effective at controlling human behavior. Controlling private businesses in such a manner is not, in my humble opinion, the role of the government.