We live in polarized times. Many people make assumptions about those that they perceive as being on “the other side” of the political spectrum. But C.J. Box’s heroic character, Joe Pickett, does not. He treats everyone he meets as a whole person and is accepting of differences (at least until someone proves to be a bad guy, in which case “things might get western”). Furthermore, Joe takes reasonable and moderate positions on almost every difficulty he faces. That includes the Endangered Species Act, which lies at the heart of the first Joe Pickett book, Open Season. In this Article, I explore the relationship between Open Season and the Endangered Species Act, as well as other books in the series, to show how moderate and sensible Joe is and to suggest how Joe’s approach to the world might give us a path out of our divided politics. It is said at one point in Open Season that Joe himself, as a decent and honorable man, is an endangered species. I think that this is false. This Article argues that Joe represents a silent political middle, discussing a variety of issues where supermajorities of Americans agree on a sensible middle ground. In conclusion, I argue that we should all aspire to be more like Joe Pickett in considering the humanity and perspectives of others. We need more Picketts.
Heather Elliott (Thu,) studied this question.