America has been strategically divided against itself

The American people have been intentionally, strategically divided and pitted against one another.

Right vs. Left

Conservative vs. Liberal

Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter

Fake News vs. Facts

Science vs. Conspiracy

Us vs. Them

The middle road has been jack hammered, ripped up, and erased from our maps.

Sometime in the late 90s, politicians and the media began to see the advantages of a bicameral nation. For politicians, more division meant more loyalty and unity. For the media, more divisions meant more drama, more sensationalism and more advertising dollars.

More division has also come to mean that politicians do not have to run on their personal political beliefs but rather which "side" they are on. The measure of a candidate no longer includes whether they possess the elevated standards of ethics, integrity, or morality and is simply determined by whether they are republican or democrat.

And worst of all division has created strife not only between geopolitical groups, but within our communities, our homes and our families.

The concept of Centrism has been destroyed.

We've been indoctrinated to believe that "moderate" = "weak", but that could not be further from the truth and could not be more un-American.

Centrism has no use in the realm of "Us vs. Them" because it inherently removes power from each side and shifts the conversation away from discord and back to one of civility. But that is exactly why we need to bring it back. Because the longer we digress from civility, the deeper the wedge will be driven between us until at some point there is an irrevocable fracture.

A re-birth of a Centrist party would mend the shattered bonds between our states, our citizens, our demographics by addressing the core concerns of the simple American.

What makes "America great again" isn't a strong nationalist policy & conservatism or universal health care & a jobs guarantee, it's bringing everyone back to the table and saying "How can we change this country and this system for our children?".

It's time for a new American political party.

A party whose sole goal is to eliminate the partisan toxicity we have been force fed and more accurately represent the reasonable people of this great nation.

A party that is not driven by a platform under which candidates can seek shelter, but a party that requires a higher standard of leadership by evaluating personal attributes like integrity, honesty, empathy, and most importantly a willingness to cooperate for the betterment of the general welfare.

Below, I outline an incomplete idea. This is merely to serve as a jumping off point. I am no policy writer, but these ideas will hopefully resonate.

5 initial tenets of a new Centrist party

Politicians should more accurately reflect the citizenry

Prevailing scientific knowledge should be valued

The environment should be respected and used respectfully

The voting process should be modernized

Education, infrastructure, and welfare should be a focus

Initial goals of the new Centrist party

Re-allocating $250 billion to education & infrastructure

Raising the minimum wage to $15/hr

Sweeping police reform, including removal of Qualified Immunity

Creation of a Green New Deal that slowly converts American energy use

Constitutional amendment outlawing gerrymandering

Creation of a nationwide firearm licensing program

Campaign financing will be 100% transparent and regulated

A larger & more representative congress should be created

A ranked-choice voting system

Legalization of marijuana

If you too believe that this nation and its citizens are in desperate need of a unifying, cooperative, ethical party, I ask that you share this article or talk with me on twitter @markmakes.

If you think I'm totally wrong and a loser we can still debate politics on twitter as long as you remain civil.