Or – What Streetsmart Ideas is about
A lot of the ideas I see out there today are politically leaning. They either lean toward the left or the right. In addition, they tend to be divisive in nature, trying to make black or white arguments when most of us fall somewhere in between. This blog will try to find the middle ground between these two edges. My hope is to help us as a country to find middle ground where our political parties are trying to keep us on separate sides. StreetsmartIdeas will focus on the middle of the road, not the shoulders.
I am neither Democrat or Republican. I do not identify with any party. I am a Christian, and more specifically a Catholic. While different Christian and Catholic groups tend to support either Democrat or Republican parties, I feel that both claims are wrong. Entries in this blog will fall into 3 main categories. The first will be a discussion of political topics. The second will be an attempt to try to find the balance between left and right for Christians. The last will be contemporary topics that come up such as COVID-19, Black Lives Matter, and similar topics that are being made politically divisive.
For the first topic, let me give you some background. I tend to lean toward smaller government. The government’s role should be only as much as is needed to protect the minority from the majority, the poor from the rich. That and to protect the country from people who wish it harm. I see two sides who want to make government bigger to protect certain people or to give away perks that can help their parties cause.
For the second topic, I see two sides which are neither correct. On one side, I see people who are overly judgmental and strict. Forgiveness is not an option. On the other side I see people who want to make no judgments, allowing all activity. Forgiveness is not needed.Christianity has struggled to find ways to accept the sinner without accepting the sin. These posts will try to find that line between the two extremes, where Christ lives.
The last topic will be on subjects that come up that are politically divisive, especially when the subject should not be. COVID-19 is a good example. I assume we all want to minimize the overall impact of this pandemic, but the misinformation that is being directed toward political gain rather than stopping the virus is bad for all. I know that most of us want a country where Blacks, as well as all races, have a fair opportunity to succeed. But again, politicization is dividing us rather than bringing us together and finding solutions.
Some comments on comments. I would like to encourage an intelligent and helpful set of comments. This should be an exchange of ideas, not just me pushing out my thoughts. Otherwise, how can I learn from you. But I ask that you be respectful and make thoughtful, helpful comments. Comments that just reflect the biases of one side will not be published.