This Body is Bullshit

Somewhere in the Middle

I’m tired of the noise.

The shouting, the finger-pointing, the you’re-either-with-us-or-against-us mentality that’s swallowed everything whole. Somewhere along the way, common sense and compassion became radical concepts. That breaks my heart.

I’m a values-first voter. I lean progressive on a lot of issues but I see the world through a moderate lens. I believe in empathy and protecting the vulnerable — and I also believe in accountability, law and order, and practical solutions. Those things can coexist. They should.

I support access to healthcare, education, and reproductive rights. I believe immigrants who work hard and follow the rules deserve a path forward. I care about the environment, veterans, farmers, and small businesses. I’m spiritual but not religious. I own a gun and I don’t think civilians need assault rifles. I’m not far-left or far-right — I just think we should take care of each other and stop turning every disagreement into a war.

I usually vote Democrat because it aligns closest to my values. But I don’t vote party line. I vote with my heart, my brain, and my conscience. I loved Obama — not because he was perfect, but because he was decent. I hate Trump — not because he’s Republican, but because he’s… you can fill in the blank. There’s a real difference between being conservative and being a Trump supporter, and I genuinely wish more people could hold that distinction.

I respect wealth and hard work. I understand that some policies benefit some groups more than others — that’s life. But if you’ve been fortunate, you should pay your share. You don’t have to lose for someone else to win. We rise higher when everyone has a chance to stand on solid ground.

I was a single mom. I’ve struggled to make rent, buy groceries, stay afloat. My daughter’s college debt is suffocating and I wouldn’t undo her education for anything. I want her to live in a world that doesn’t punish people for being born without privilege. I don’t think that’s a radical thing to want.

I support LGBTQ+ rights and I’ll never apologize for that. Nobody should have to fight for the right to exist or love who they love. Full stop.

Here’s the thing that made all of this feel personal instead of political: I work with people who are scared. Hardworking men and women — many of them immigrants, many of them parents — who come in every day and give everything they have. When words like ICE and deportation are in the news, I can see the fear move across their faces. They’re not political pawns. They’re human beings trying to survive. When you see that kind of fear up close, in the faces of people you know and care about, it stops being theoretical. It becomes personal. And it stays that way.

I’m exhausted watching people treat politics like a sport where the only goal is to destroy the other team. I miss nuance. I miss when disagreement didn’t require disgust. I want leaders who tell the truth even when it’s complicated. I want accountability without cruelty. Compassion without weakness. Progress without arrogance.

Maybe that makes me naïve.

Or maybe it just makes me human — standing somewhere in the middle, tired of the extremes, still believing that decent people can disagree and build something better together anyway.

I have to believe that.