There are no shades of grey
I often lament the loss of nuance and subtlety in today's modern political discourse. I realize that it is much more efficient to see everything as a binary choice: liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, right or wrong, me or you. However, our discussions of government should not be efficient. We need to dive deep into all the complexities of the issues because few things are black or white. Most issues reside in shades of grey. It is in those shades of grey that the seemingly opposing sides can find their commonality. However, a precious few issues require us to take a firm stand on one side or the other. You either believe in the founding principle of this nation: " We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all [persons] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--"