In an age where knowledge is the hottest commodity, we seem to have forsaken reason for passion. Getting caught up in politics, both domestic and foreign, we look There and not so much Here. The media swarms with a mix of jingoism and anti-American grandstanding, and many Americans feel caught in the middle. Too often, we are blinded by labels of party lines and whispers of “right-wing” and “radical left;” the issues on which we profess to take a stance get lost in a shuffle of name-calling, demographic analyses and polling. The trick to solving most problems in life is balance; this equilibrium can be applied to the way we understand our government and nation.It is perfectly acceptable to recognize the merits of both arguments, and, if circumstances warrant, settle on a middle ground. For, on either extreme, we see the following: those who refuse to acknowledge any wrongdoing or errors in judgment by their elected officials, and those who refuse to recognize any gains or efforts of their current leaders. This puts people in the awful position of choosing sides, assigning a label to themselves, making new alliances, alienating old ones and in some way forcing them to accept a given platform on a multitude of issues. I argue on behalf of those individuals in the center, in that large expanse of gray, spanning from the most opaque of blacks to the purest of whites. There is always room to improve. This goes for all countries, not just ours. Yes, 40 million Americans without health insurance is a problem that must be examined, and the system overhauled. Of course, the implementation of a better educational system for youth is a noble and necessary goal. Finding a way to harness energy while respecting our environment is a puzzle we have only begun to piece together. This is what makes America the force that it is today. The unyielding process of self-criticism that leads to progress is what drives us forward. The constant questioning of policy, ideology, history and self allows change within a sturdy framework and a malleability that does not give way to dissolution. Americans have an unprecedented liberty to speak, think and write as they please, in opposition or support. For this, we are the envy and target of many. However, such introspection and advancement must not cloud the understanding of that which is good about our nation. Yes, we are a people who dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But we also aligned with NATO to bomb Yugoslavia and aid numerous Bosnians and Kosovars. Yes, we originally supported the Afghanis to ward off Russia. But we also have had movements of civil rights, women’s suffrage and healthy debate about the war in Iraq. Every nation has its foibles. Lamentably, some are greater than others, and all invariably affect thousands, if not millions, of people, both innocent and not. America is no exception and must accept its past, learn from those mistakes, celebrate the successes and move forward. There is no need to berate or aggrandize. Reality is what it is. No amount of spin can change that. Many of us do not realize what it means to live outside of our freedom, to live in fear, to endure extreme hardship. We have it good. It is okay to be thankful for that, to guard that and to wish that upon others. Let us start the school year with an effort to be scrupulous in our readings of the news, in our conversations and arguments with peers, in the restlessness within us, our always questioning. Let us give ourselves the permission, duty and privilege to always look for a better way to be, lead and follow. But, also, let us reward ourselves for being good people, a conscientious society, a thinking entity and a cohesive community and nation. Maryam Zia is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences