I heard someone define “being adult” as having achieved the maturity to hold two opposing thoughts in your mind at the same time. Life is so much more simple to the child like mind. I believe that is why religion is so comforting to most people because it is a more simplistic world view. Everything can be labeled and any mysteries or inconsistencies will be dealt with later by a Higher Court or in The Sweet By and By. Well, some of us crave a better understanding of The Nasty Now and Now.

Two opposing thoughts or view points that many mature people deal with almost daily are what I like to term “The incredible urge to merge” versus the “go it alone” approach. Before I get too far defining the two seemingly opposing ideas let me site a couple of remarks about the group dynamic or unified approach that recently upset a lot of conservative people. Hillary Clinton wrote a book several years ago called, “It Takes A Village” in which she talked about the importance of community in raising children. Man, she caught it from those who think parents are solely responsible for raising children. What a singular and overwhelming responsibility for people often very young, under experienced, and under educated for such a mammoth task. Grand parents, other family members, teachers, doctors, nurses, neighbors, coaches, pastors, religious teachers, and a host of others hopefully also contribute to the education and upbringing of a child. Roman Catholics in particular traditionally pick someone to be God Parents for the child to specifically make sure the child has another loving dedicated set of people to help that child get the best chance of succeeding in life. Many children sadly do not get the maximum benefit of such a support system. But, by God, every child ought to and a loving parent which He or She surely is wants that for all children.

President Obama set off a similar controversy with probably the same people with his remark that no one builds a successful business by themselves but in addition to help from a lot of people there is also a lot of infrastructure in place to support business growth that has has been put there by the tax money of the many and the designing, engineering, and labor of a lot of folks. We the people, of all colors, creeds, and sexual orientations built this country not just a few rich folks. Oh, they contributed too but even their big businesses were not built by their own ingenuity and effort alone.

But what of teaching a child to stand on his or her own and to be an individual. Now let’s look at those different views a little closer. First let’s give them other names to contrast their differences more clearly. I start with the obvious Capitalist of Individualist versus the Socialist or Communist philosophies. Honestly these two groups have demonized each the other to the point that often members on either side have no real honest understanding of the others view and in most cases not even a real clear understand of their own. The argument usually boils down to, “We are right and they are wrong. We are good and they are deceived and or evil or both.”

The Capitalist believes strongly in the Individual’s right to personal property, low business taxes, and to accumulate wealth with little government interference except to protect his property and businesses. The Socialist or Communist believes in the rights of the group to share equally in the reward that their work produces and that no one’s pile should be higher than everyone else’s.. The American Dream has been somewhat of a mixture of both of these ideals with government trying to referee the fight or chaperon the dance, to allow room on the dance floor or in the ring for both of these groups to prosper.

I will be accused of being a Socialist or Communist by some for even attempting to define their position. And the left of center progressives or liberals will label me a Capitalist Pig for giving the rich credit for some of the great accomplishments that we as a nation have achieved. We built a railroad across this nation. We put a man on the moon and brought him, them home safely more than once. We did these things and thousands more because rich people, and working people can and have often held two opposing thoughts in there heads at the same time. Like hating war and hoping each one will be the one where we learn the futility of war but also knowing that some situations require force even deadly force. Even Superman who is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and who is faster than a speeding locomotive laments in the song named after him, “It’s not easy to be me.” Nor you or I for that matter but it can be a pretty thrilling ride if you keep your mind open to at least consider the other side.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David White