Bundling

The gerrymandering of the human condition.

This morning I have been thinking about Nine Eleven. About J6. About Ruby Bridges. About Black Lives Matter. About the KKK. About ICE. About war. About 60 Minutes. About the White House and its East Wing, the reflecting pool, a 250-dollar-bill, the Kennedy Center. About insider trading. About how many times I’ve been called names and told to go do impossible things to myself because I have both opinions--gasp!--and an intense dislike for the present presidential administration.

But wait ...

I’ve also seen people who think like me be unconscionably rude to people whose thoughts are far removed from mine. I’ve seen people like me be condescending and hateful to those of different faiths. Or those of no faith. I’ve seen people like me bundle the haves into an all-inclusive bundle of ne’er-do-wells just as they (you know the ubiquitous they, don’t you?) bundle the have-nots into another all-inclusive bundle.

You know the kind of bundles I mean. Spend some time on Facebook--no, don’t; it’s pretty much a waste these days--and you’ll see a ton of them.

• No one on public assistance works. They are all lazy, able-bodied takers.

• They (again with the they) don’t know--or care--how the other half lives.

• Christians are hypocrites.

• Muslims are violent, horrible people.

• Immigrants who enter the country illegally are violent, horrible people.

• Feminists are horrible people, although not always violent.

• I am a Democrat--you know what they say about Democrats.

• Many of you are Republicans--you know what they say about Republicans.

So, the list of things in the first paragraph that have been on my mind this morning? That was bundling, too, wasn’t it? It was, to quote my friends Merriam and Webster, a group of things fastened together for convenient handling.

But it wasn’t all Muslims on Nine Eleven. It wasn’t all Republicans on J6. It wasn’t all black people who promoted destruction to make their point. It wasn’t all white people who created the need for Ruby Bridges to be surrounded by security just to go to school. It’s wasn’t all Democrats who got rich while in congress. It’s not all Republicans who disrespect the First Amendment. It’s not all Democrats who don’t care a bit about the Second one.

It’s not everyone I disagree with who calls me names and invites me to do impossible things. To those who think they must, go for it. To those bloggers who come at it from as far right as I do from my deep lean to the left, by all means, keep doing it and allow no one to shut you up.

But tell the truth. Everybody. And stop the bundling. It doesn’t help anyone. It’s not accurate. It’s horrendously cruel. It is the gerrymandering of the human condition.

Have a good week. Be nice to somebody.