The Line

Between the ideologies of Left and Right is a line. A border, the demarcation of tolerance which all parties recognize as the defining moment where, once crossed, allegiances to the former are severed. (As a matter of fact, up to 99% of the population does not even have a clue to the history of Left and Right and the line which created them. That is food for another time.)

Most of humanity never considers the implications of such political jockeying. We simply see the line separating order and chaos. We walk this fine line moment by moment in our daily struggle to exist in the maelstrom which surrounds us. Our being is defined in the choices, minor and major, made in the balancing act of walking the line.

There are times when we wander into the realm of the left, the chaotic tumult of denigrating forms and functions. We encounter the debilitating morass of deconstruction and the disorienting swamp of relativism. Up is down and down is up is the only understanding which applies – until even this is turned inside out because it is too “traditional.” It would appear that there is a portion of the populace which relishes the habitation of this environ, yet, most seek every opportunity to exit even the faintest whiff of the air which wafts about this realm.

Stability, order, conformity are the hallmarks of the right side. If it ain’t broke, means there is nothing wrong with it. Keep your hands off. From the right there are clear delineations of justice and infractions of these rules have a punishment assigned to them. Conservation of the status quo is priority one. Change, while it can happen on the right, is not swift. It follows a long, thoughtful introspective course which will not accept chaotic forays into the surreal simply to contrast the vibrancy of the line. The deeper into the right of order, the less the shades of grey reside.

Morality lives on the line. Many might believe otherwise but that is to make morality relative to which side your feet are firmly planted. To live a high moral life does not mean to live by some codified standard birthed and cemented in an orderly, stable milieu. Conversely, a “devil may care” arrogance from a chaotic state lacks the potential required to claim any moral underpinning. The line, with one foot in order and the other is chaos, is the high moral ground. It requires constant vigilance to principles of justice, right and wrong. It must navigate daily situations with grace and finesse, applying equal measures of relativism and pragmatism in order to keep itself fixated in the justifiable truth of the line.

Each party, occupying their respective position along the line, seeks to claim a moral superiority over the other without recognizing that the line maintains the tension to each of their entitlements. Many are the actors (I use this term correctly) from both camps who wish to swoop into the opposing side and dramatically appeal to the sensibilities and reasonings of their naïve audience, hoping to evangelize even just one to their noble cause. And yet, the line waits for the toll to be exacted from all who wish to cross it.

Today, all around you, actors are plying their craft of persuasion to bring you up to the line, hoping you will cross. Some will, some won’t. The line cares little either way. You, on the other hand, will always care about the line once crossed. Its boundary will forever shape the morality you adhere to. It holds no allegiance to either side, so you’re unable to claim it as an ally wherever you decide to venture. The line is a signpost warning, or welcoming, you into a different state of being. The line is your first and last harbor of responsibility to yourself and others. Approach with caution.