Being a rational human being isn’t “sitting on the fence”, morons.

Why does everyone need to take an extreme stance on everything?

It seems like no matter what the topic, both sides of the argument are engaged in bloodlusted combat, and incapable of any form of compromise with the opposing side. The opposing side is always wrong about everything, and anyone who even slightly agrees with one of their points is the enemy too and supports everything they’ve ever said about anything ever. There’s absolutely no middle ground whatsoever, you’re either with me or you’re against me.

In the rare event someone comes out and attempts to explain how they understand both sides of the argument and why both sides make some valid points, the crowd of extremists beats them down by calling them a “fence-sitter”. This is supposed to imply that the person is on the fence between the two issues, afraid to drop down and commit to either side. It’s generally looked down upon to “sit on the fence” regarding whatever hot button issue the warmongering media is trying to divide the world with at the moment, and in an era where everyone is hellbent on cramming their personal politics down everyone else’s throat, it’s considered cowardice to not take a side.

In reality this is stupid, and so are the people promoting this all-or-nothing mindset. When using the term “fence-sitting”, what these morons have failed to realize is how it doesn’t actually make the fence-sitter look as bad as it does the parties to the argument. Fences are typically used to restrict an area from access, or as a dividing boundary of sorts meant to dissuade those on the other side from crossing it. So you’re basically saying that both sides are blocking each other’s ideas out and fencing themselves in to feel safe from the opposing side. You’re pretty much bragging that you’re impervious to reason and refuse to listen to anything that might contradict your viewpoint. Meanwhile, the guy on the fence is looking down at both sides from an impartial point of view, and is in the perfect position to see both sides and create his own viewpoint from both sides of the argument.

Just because someone sees some merit in both sides of an argument doesn’t mean they’re a coward or they’re indecisive, you bloody imbeciles. Most of these issues being fought over are dumb as hell anyway and could easily be resolved in a mutually beneficial manner if the people fighting the arguments stopped basking in the smell of their own farts for a minute to find just a little common ground. For example, gay marriage. Both sides of this argument are too busy trying to completely destroy one another that they don’t see the most obvious solution right in front of their faces: Give individual judges and churches the right to decide if they want to marry a gay couple. One judge doesn’t believe gays should marry because of religious beliefs? Cool, he/she doesn’t have to authorize it, and the gay couple can go to a judge who doesn’t mind it. Nobody has to do anything they don’t want to do, the gay couple lives happily ever after, and both sides stop fighting about something that could have been easily solved by the end of the 90’s.

I’m starting to feel like I’m the only sane rational human being left, and coming from a guy who calls himself “Angry Jerk” that’s saying a lot. Am I really the only person capable of seeing both sides of an argument? Is our society really that far gone that anyone who supports finding and building upon common ground is labelled an indecisive fence-sitting coward? These people are obviously more interested in pointlessly fighting than they are finding an actual solution to the problem. Anything to give some meaning to your otherwise worthless lives, right numbskulls?

I’m a fence-sitter, and I’m goddamn proud of it. I refuse to blindly rally behind a side without knowing all the facts, I refuse to ignore a valid point regardless of the source, and I refuse to play into the all-or-nothing me-vs-them mindset that’s got this country and this planet by the balls. If anyone has a problem with being a rational human being, feel free to go fuck yourself.

By Angry_Jerk

The CEO/Editor-in-chief of AJnet, and the current king of internet ranting. Hailing from the fine village of Northeast Philadelphia, AJ has been creating content on the internet for over 15 years. None of it has really been funny or entertaining, but he keeps trying anyway. When he’s not creating new articles for the site, he can be found hitting the weights, watching anime, or playing retro video games.