We cannot afford to overlook the Jeep commercial's message

Photo courtesy of Takahiro Kyono, Flickr

Bruce Springsteen was the star of recent Jeep commercial “The Middle,” where he talks about a chapel in Kansas that sits in the middle of the continential 48 states. Springsteen states in this commercial, “There’s a chapel in Kansas standing on the exact center of the Lower 48. It never closes. All are more than welcome to come meet here — in the middle.” 

The intended message was set to convey that society could generally be better if we just meet in the middle, a clear political sentiment. This country has clearly been divided for the past few years, especially after Donald Trump became president. After the terrible insurrection that occurred on Jan. 6, the country seems to be even more polarized. 

It has been revealed that Jeep pulled the commercial due to Springsteen being cited for a DWI in November. However, this does not change the message of the advertisement. 

The message of this ad was inspiring, and I believe that everyone wishes that our country can once again unite and close the gap between red and blue. But with the major differences between political parties today, it seems as though meeting in the middle is a very difficult task. 

The divide of our country is large, and this has to do with who is in charge of the government. When Trump was president, our country seemed to become more divided than it has in recent history. Trump was the type of leader who believed in the idea of “it’s my way or the highway” and would destroy his “enemies.” This has become a popular form of political discourse that is seen on both distinct sides, the left and the right. 

People tend to have a hard time discussing politics with someone who does not share the same views as them. This has caused our country to be the divided nation that it is. The Jeep commercial called for an attempt to heal the U.S. 

Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. There is such a significant divide in this country that ranges more than just political parties. The divide between the upper class, middle class and lower class is large and hard to cross. 

This campaign has good intentions; this country could possibly be a happier and better place, but that would be an arduous task. This country has a long way to go before we can ever meet in “the middle.” This could mean many things, the best hope being that people can get along despite some of their differences. There are some differences that people may not be able to get past, but if people can begin to accept the differences of people around them, our country could possibly come together.