Opposites

Salt and Pepper.  Black and White.   Left and right. Light and Shadow. And and And.  Either salt or pepper.  Either black or white.  Either left or right.  Either light or shadow.  Either and or.  Neither salt, nor pepper.  Neither black, nor white.  Neither left, nor right.  Neither light nor shadow.  Neither and nor.    With the same 8 concepts (in four pairs of two)  comes a fractious change in meaning with addition of conjunctions.  Inclusion, exclusion, choice, rejection, all framed with conjunctions.  Yet sometimes even the idea of inclusion (as in the case of and) can be divisive.  Black and white for example.  The and posits a coming together but not seen as the case when racism is involved.  In politics left and right are ends of a political spectrum with particular characteristics ascribed to each.  I want to live in a land of AND that is inclusive.  Okay to keep the choices, the inclusions and exclusions, they are more clearly what they are.  But when and is the conjunction, can't we all agree to give equal weight to each side?  We are a country of equals and we are a country of equality. That is the American spirit.