Just Another Person with an Opinion

Oh goody! In an online media environment that’s already overly saturated with people’s opinions, we have yet another group of people proposing to do something similar (to be fair, we started this endeavor over six years ago). Why bother subscribing with The Everyman when there’re a host of other publications calling for our time and attention?

It’s a fair question, and one that I’ve considered both from the perspective of a writer and as a reader of commentary. Indeed, everyone has an opinion, so why read the ones of certain people and not others? And why add my own voice to the fray? What do I know (or better yet, what should I know) about the issues?

If we’re being honest, some of this is by chance, some of it is by inclination, and some of it is actually purposeful. I grew up in a family of opinionated people, studied the humanities for much of my life, and took advantage of various opportunities that popped up along the way. At this point, I like to read essays of those whom I trust, who can express themselves clearly and thoughtfully, and who are able to speak on the wide range of issues that matter to me and my family. And I myself desire to be such a writer for others.

At least for now, this has led me to adopt the views and positions of Catholic populist conservatism, hence the name of my publication “The Everyman.” Unlike most popular or “trending” writers and pundits, I have little interest in signaling my allegiance to a particular ideology, shilling for any special interest group, generating click-bait content, or becoming an influencer. Probably much to my detriment, I have little intention of “building my brand,” lining my pockets, and/or planting my flag in some presently unoccupied corner of the internet.

No, my goal in reading content is to learn from the best minds and to gain a better understanding of the world, and my goal in writing is to articulate clear and effective arguments that serve the common good and to push back on the numerous corrosive forces in our society. If I can do this in a way that’s compelling, entertaining, and concise, I will have achieved my goal.

In many ways, this has been my hope as a high school English teacher. One who strives to empower my students to form their own positions/opinions and to develop their thinking about the world. If they happen to have different views from mine, this is (mostly) fine so long as they base their assertions on something that is at least coherent and logical. If they still leave my class addicted to TikTok brainwashing and passively internalize the “accepted” narratives that are being shilled by manipulative content creators, then I haven’t done my job properly.

With each passing year as a teacher, as well as a freelance writer, I see the growing and urgent need for voices who can bring more people into public discourse. Many people, both old and young, who are finally coming out of the stupor that was created by a bad education, or possibly a pernicious addiction to tech, are craving a faithful account of the world.

Unfortunately, I’ve frequently observed that many of the writers who claim to speak for these people have, possibly unintentionally, left them far behind. In many cases, it’s hard for me to guess who exactly they’re writing for and why they write what they do, beyond their seeking praise from friends, indulging a personal interest, and maybe gaining some patronage as part of the process.

As such, I aspire to offer the everyman reader some well-written everyman opinions. All of us at The Everyman are freelance writers with busy day jobs. We don’t live in the Beltway, we don’t work for a think tank or institute, and we aren’t secretly funded by conspiring billionaires. Instead, we are merely humble scribblers toiling in the trenches. I may be a bit partial, but I believe that normies like us often see various issues in our culture much more clearly than the pros. Let’s simply call it the “gift” of common sense.

So yes, here we come, another group of people with unique opinions. Except, however, the opinions and the people who write them are real and sufficiently informed. I hope you subscribe and read what we have to say—and listen to our planned future podcasts. Whatever ends up happening in politics, culture, and religion, this coming year is going to be interesting (to say the least); and we aim to talk about it here at The Everyman.