By Patrick Robinson

The nation is struggling I believe because the crazies want to take the wheel. 

To the extent that we let them look where that got us.

They appear to be taking us toward the edge of a cliff.

I use the term “crazy” here in the sense that extreme views are not the way America runs best.

Crazy cuts both ways and there are plenty of examples from both sides.

People on the left, I mean the far left out of a sense of kindness and yes, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion pushed the idea of trans folks being allowed to compete in the sport of their chosen gender. That’s crazy. 

I’m sorry but this is not a good idea. It drives the folks on the right up the wall and really… that’s understandable. It’s everything they hate. And truly, come on... sports is about physical competition and it gives trans athletes an unfair advantage. Gender identity is no joke and people’s sense of self deserves respect and kindness. I suppose people in the LGBTQ community will take me to task for saying this but it boils down to a simple idea, Your rights end where mine begin. That line is negotiable of course but not everywhere and not widely.

On the right, they champion a congenital liar that bullies people so badly that basic human values are being crushed in the process. 

That’s crazy too.

Trump is alternately incoherent (just read a transcript of some of his extemporaneous ramblings) and almost self mocking.

He is encouraged to violate the law, threaten the judiciary, take actions directly against his perceived enemies and essentially do whatever wild idea comes to his “adderalled” mind. 

For both sides:  Just stop. Seriously, stop. 

The concept of America is about compromise, balance (of a sort), about the competition of ideas. People can take it personally if they choose or if that’s what motivates them. But in the end the point is to let the best ideas prevail. At least until the next idea holds sway and the pendulum swings back to the other side.

In a republic, a representative democracy, we, at least we intend to, elect people to carry out what the majority wants. 

But the majority often exhibits a change of heart. So we have a system of checks and balances with the legislative body and the judiciary all checking the executive branch.

Any efforts to lock in a point of view, power structure, or level of control is fundamentally un-American. 

So, gerrymandering (the act of dividing up electoral districts so one side has a permanently unfair advantage), packing courts with one ideology, attempting to weaponize government (yes both sides have done it), limit freedom of the press, or through military or police control impose a view, or rules so imperious it prompts a violent response. Pushing the nation toward an impractical “Green New Deal” , failing to recognize that the social safety nets we have in place are running out of money and must be addressed, and thinking that expanding government is the cure for all ills. All of it is not how America works best. 

We need to return to respect, kindness, and yes, sanity. We need to steer the nation away from the cliff and we do that through compromise and thoughtful consideration. Not by allowing the most extreme views to guide us.

The crazies can’t be allowed to dictate the future for the rest of us.