It’s precisely that black and white framing that’s the issue. Nobody’s perfect. Maybe the mother developed a drinking habit because of the abuse and the father thinks they’re doing the right thing abducting the child. Does that make the mother less of a victim? No. Would I still side with her? Yes. But acting like the mother has no issues will only let her get worse. Acting like the father is evil and not someone with their own issues that needs help is an injustice to him.

Being centerist isn’t about waffling, ignoring clear issues, and flipping a coin at the polls. It’s about choosing the best choice with the information available, rather than because you identify with one side and call the other evil. That’s a dangerously immature way to approach issues, which causes a lot of the problems we’re facing today.