Why have so many controversial debates become so fundamentally based around a concept of either “you’re with us or against us?” It is a message that resonates from the United States government.One can either be for the war, for Bush and anti Middle East, or an anti US, dissenting, radical nonpatriot. It is as if both sides of the conflict have become so passionate about their own side that they have no room to hear any perspective but their own.People have become so passionately attached to their own ideas that they lose out on some of the truths that exist in other perspectives. The fact is that most controversial topics of argument are controversial for the reason that there are reasons to support both sides. It would be foolish to think of the US government as purely noble and philanthropic in everything that it does in the world.Yet at the same time, everyone living in this country can appreciate some of the good things that this country has to offer. Why does it seem that this middle ground is never represented? All I hear is the ongoing battle between the sides “support our troops” and “stop the war”.This conflict is certainly not the only one that supports a theme of “either you’re with us or against us.” The same thing can be said for the recent confrontation that took place between the LGBTQA community and the Red Cross, when the Red Cross was almost banned from campus after discriminating against homosexuals. Few can say that discrimination based on sexual orientation is an acceptable practice, but at the same time, the fact is that there are flaws with many systems.The solution to these problems must come from working together to improve these institutions, and not simply condemning them. Respectfully,Jesse SimmonsClass of 2011