A Citizen’s Blog
Purple Ground is based on the idea that red and blue Americans who love their country can find common ground on principles.
- We love America
- We know that Freedom is not free and we honor our troops
- We do take responsibility for our own lives
- We honestly care about those in need and do not want to abandon those who cannot help themselves
- We agree that Americans have a personal responsibility to help others and “be our brother’s keeper”
- We believe that people are better served by a hand up than a hand out (teach a man to fish…)
- We believe that we must be vigilent in defending America and our freedoms against those who would do us harm
- We believe in personal liberty, over our body, our mind, the fruits of our labor, our property, family and parenting, and our speech
- We believe that all America’s laws apply to all its citizens equally and the law is blind to race, class, connections, and political status.
- We believe that our government serves the citizens, not the other way around
- We believe that Americans are generally good, hard-working, generous people
- We believe that war should always be the second to last choice, only before putting our lives or our country in grave danger
- We believe that we have a personal and corporate responsibility not to trash our planet
- In God we trust
These principles are not Democrat or Republican. They are American. We disagree on the details, and there are differences in how we substantiate these ideals. First, we need to remember that most of us agree on so many values, we just need to start having straightforward discussions on the embodiment of them. Our Founders themselves disagreed amongst themselves, often passionately, sometimes vehemently. But they worked it out for the greater good of the country. They put their personal egos aside, had an honest debate, and reached consensus.
There are plenty of bloggers out there lambasting the other side. The more time you spend on the internet the more you see there is way to much vile nastiness out there, on both sides. This forum will attempt to engage in debate, not diatribe. This forum will assume that you and I are not Nazis, racists, communists, Marxists, stupid, brainwashed, or un-American.
I will invite others I know, just regular people like you and I who don’t blog for living, to share their thoughts as well: a citizen’s blog. I will not just choose people who agree with me on issues.
I love feedback and I encourage comments. Before you submit a comment, ask yourself, are you speaking the way you would to a friend that disagrees with you? I will moderate comments in a way that treats us all as friends.
The partisanship today threatens to divide and conquer us. I believe that is not who Americans are. We can be better. Sincere people can agree on core American values and discuss and even disagree on how to live those principles. Let’s reaffirm those ideals that we all agree upon and start from there.
I am leaving a space for comments on this page. If you think there is anything on the above list that is not common or “purple ground” with you, let me know why. I am sure there are things that I am missing too, and I welcome suggestions. The list can grow.
Jamie Bryant
Chris Perez
Where Red and Blue Americans Find Common Ground 
Wouldn’t it be great if the people in Washington could learn something from this blog and how to find their common beliefs to move this country in a positive direction. I hope this blog will serve to remind the citizens that in fact, we do have a lot in common. Thanks you for taking the time to make a difference!
well said jamie. you said war is second to last choice, how many choices do we get and what’s the last choice. my suggestion for congress is to have the sargent-at-arms buzz(or gavel) any person making the same old idealogical rants that just waste time. anyone who makes these comments gets $1000.00 from his salary. many senators and congressmen would end up owing money to the people. that should help with the budget. thank you for ALL of your blogs.
I applaud the idea of this website. It is true that finding common ground is always the starting point for any type of sensitive communication.
I know that your intent is to be inclusive, however, you miss a very big issue. I would ask that you add to your list of “commonalities” a belief in God. (I know, I know…some of you have already stopped reading…that is one of the reasons that honest communication just won’t work)
If we are “Human-Centered” or “Self-Centered” we cannot agree on the basics of this country. And, no, it is not enough to say we are “America-Centered” while we discuss these things. America IS founded on a belief that we receive our freedoms from God. Not man. That is a FUNDAMENTAL belief that MUST be the starting block for all of our discussions. So, to be America-Centered, by definition, means we must be God-Centered.
We can discuss the way that our founders based ALL principles off of Biblical principles, yet allowed all to believe and worship as they wish…but there should be absolutely no discussion about where our founding principles were derived. We cannot change our history because the small minority are not comfortable with it or because we don’t want to offend anyone. America is about offending…everyone! Our Declaration of Independence was an incredible insult to the most powerful man in the world. We are founded on our belief that our freedom is more important than your comfort level.
Americans no longer trust or admire their politicians and our political process not because they are bad people (some are….some are not) but because we do not admire people who hold themselves in such high esteem. American politicians are about themselves…they serve themselves, not the people, and certainly not God. And in America….that does not impress us. What does impress us, however, are people who live a life of: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Service, Honor, Integrity, and Courage. Those are the values taught by the Bible (and most faiths actually) as well as the values that are taught to our Military….and this is why our military is so respected.
I am not a religious zealot, but I am a man of faith. You do not have to believe in God to agree with this…you only have to know our history. America’s founding is fact. And if we are to have an honest discussion, then we must be honest with ourselves.
I don’t much like America’s history of slavery. But just because I don’t like the facts, doesn’t mean I’m allowed to say it they aren’t facts. Truth is Truth. Fact is Fact. Our history makes us who we are…
I believe that I am an “everyday red American” as the title says. But on this one area, I will not compromise. It is a core belief. And I cannot forego my core beliefs as so many of us do on a regular basis. I challenge everyone to get down to their own core beliefs…and when you find them….hold them close….and DO NOT COMPROMISE. It is the slow degradation of our core beliefs that has brought us to this tipping point.
Hi Rob,
See the last bullet “In God We Trust”. It’s pinted on our money and across our government buildings, documents and heritage. I do think that we can all agree that this nation was founded on that principle. For America to succeed as a free nation with limited government, her people must be virtuous. That virtue is rooted in Judeo Christian values and it is the idea that we hold ourselves to the highest standards and care for the least of us as is our duty. Our founder Benjamin Franklin described the “American religion” as:
1. There is a God
2. Someday we will all be accountable to him for our actions
3. The best way to serve God is by serving your fellow man
I imagine that most Americans can unite on those ideas.
As always, I welcome dissent and discussion.
Sorry, Rob. We’re not going to find common ground if you think that I am going to accept the God that they teach about the bible and make him a commonality. I’ve never seen more corruption and hypocrisy than from the group of people who believe in the bible. Anyway, let’s just leave religion and the bible out of it.
I am an American. I love this country because anyone who works hard and makes good decisions will be rewarded. Isn’t that logical and reasonable thinking?
Our family donates tens of thousands of dollars to charitable causes every year. We want to help those who are suffering through no fault of their own (sick children, cancer patients, (but not those that developed disease through living an unhealthy lifestyle), and a few others. We do this because we are able to and feel that its the right thing to do. We also believe that actions have consequences, what goes around comes around, or karma. God has nothing to do with it. (If anything, we would ask why God allows such awful things to happen.)
Faith is a one ingredient recipe to disappointment. I believe in being logical and reasonable and following the Golden rule. The constitution could have been written without the bible in existence by a few great thinkers and it would still have the great impact on our country that it has had and currently has today.
The God from the Judeo Christian bible is not a commonality and shouldn’t be. And if this were to be a commonality that I would have to adopt to live in this country then I’d be very sad.
Milley –
I have to disagree with your comment that “The constitution could have been written without the bible in existence by a few great thinkers and it would still have the great impact on our country that it has had and currently has today.”
The opening line of the Declaration of Independence that “All men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights is key to the fundamental belief of our founders that our rights come from God and not from a leader, ruler or the government.
However, your other comment that “The God from the Judeo Christian bible is not a commonality and shouldn’t be. And if this were to be a commonality that I would have to adopt to live in this country then I’d be very sad.” is another reason why our founders were so brilliant. Although this country was founded on the faith-based belief that our rights come from God and therefore cannot be taken away from us by man, our founders believed in religious freedom. They were escaping a government in England where the state told people how to worship. In America we have the right to worship or not worship as we choose. Your beliefs are yours and no one can tell you how to believe. As long as your beliefs do not infringe on the rights of others, you have absolute religious freedom to be as spiritual or agnostic as you choose.
Admitting that our founder’s faith played a large role in their design of our country and constitution does not mean that you must believe all the same biblical things that they believed. Some call it “natural law” – the idea that we are born with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In other words, the key here is that those rights are intrinsic and are not granted nor taken away by rulers.
Yes, What Jamie says is true. You do not have to believe in God to do good things or be a good person. However to not acknowledge the Godly beliefs of our Founders could put us in the same position of other countries whose human rights violations are coming from the governemt because their moral code is not based on anything outside of themselves, like God’s word, which is BTW, where the Golden Rule came from. That’s all. (And if you ever really want to know why God “allows” suffereing, call me. )