Sarah Palin is right. There is a major problem with the main stream media. The problem is that they assume an equivalence between the right and the left. I’ve heard people I respect say that the problem is polarization. That we have the rantings of Glen Beck on the right and Keith Olbermann on the left. That’s not the problem. The problem is that the insane, deranged, lunatic ramblings of Glen Beck are given equivalence to the insightful, beautifully written, calls to inspiring action of Keith Olbermann. One guy from the left and one guy from the right and their views are supposed to be equally valid. They’re not.

A friend of mine told me something he thought was particularly insightful. The Democrats are playing Jeopardy, trying to be smart about the facts. The Republicans, on the other hand, are playing Family Feud, trying to figure out what a random selection of not too well educated people might answer based on their gut instincts. These things are not equivalent. One is based on rationality and one is based on fear, superstition and the propaganda of Fox News.

But here’s the thing. Underneath, at the core, all human beings are the same. Emotionally we all want validation and respect. But what we don’t realize is that we don’t have beliefs, beliefs have us. Once we adopt a belief that government is bad, or that liberals are trying to take away our freedoms or that Southern fundamentalists are unsophisticated rubes, we are trapped in beliefs that make dealing with those with opposing views very difficult, if not impossible.

However, if we remember that all humans have the same need for love and validation, and we understand that the beliefs others are acting out of represent what they have become as a result of their circumstances in life, it is easier to be tolerant.

Republicans are currently lying about healthcare reform (government takeover) because they are angry that they are no longer in control. Their belief is also because of their parents, their church, and the superior attitude they picked up from those who could afford to go to an expensive college. Whatever.

The point is that they are feeling bad about themselves and acting out. Underneath they are humans that need love, just like all other humans.

It’s the same with Israelis and Palestinians. They are born as totally equivalent human beings and they become hateful toward each other as they absorb the beliefs of their culture.

This site is about understanding that we are all the same. We are unbelievable miracles of evolution—the highest level of consciousness that the universe has produced (so far as we know). So no matter how unequivalent various notions of reality may be, underneath, all humans are exactly as valuable as each other. Seeing that core truth is what will save us from destroying each other.