Dallas Morning News Letter to the Editor
A call for calm
Re: "Angry left and right are crowding out the practical middle," by William McKenzie, Tuesday Viewpoints.
As an enthusiast (and practitioner) of the "practical middle" or "sensible middle," I was glad to see Bill McKenzie bring a political viewpoint other than the extremes with which we are pelted these days.
Those on the right and left snarl and drool at each other, rarely listen to anyone else, or consider the "logical" extremes of their positions.
Those in the middle are the ones who quietly get things done while the ideologues posture. Those in the middle are, indeed, problem solvers. Those on the ends of > the spectrum tend to be problem generators.
Those on the left and right do have strong beliefs that motivate "true believers." However, frequently, strong beliefs are a substitute for thought. The right and left have co-opted the political process, driving out moderates by sheer volume of their intolerance for other views.
We have liberals because we have conservatives, and vice versa. Probably the best thing that "sensible middlers" can do in today's rather mean-spirited political environment is remain voices for calm and reason.
Bob Savage, Sachse
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