Friday, November 11, 2016

The Divided States of America







In the wake of the presidential election, American’s have had very mixed emotions. Horror, shock, disbelief, sadness. Defeat. Protests are filling the streets, some turning into riots like those in Portland, Oregon. We all want Peace. But I can’t blame them. 

We are the Divided States of America.  

A thought occurred to me. The times in our nation that seemed like rock bottom were the times that change was truly underway. As a nation, we have had to fight hard battles at times to see this change. The Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement both being examples of great hostility, violence, and opposition are also examples of stunning change. It took blood, sweat, and tears but it was perseverance that prevailed in the end.  What was right, always came to be because those who believed in their cause never gave up. Of course, we have always had a ways to go.

For many, seeing Trump elected was not the change we thought we’d see. But is it a motivator to push us in the direction of positive change? The people that do not stand with Trump, and more specifically strongly oppose him are not going to sit this one out. More than ever, we will have to all stand up and fight for the things we believe in, because we know that sitting this one out is a game changer. There are people running the show now that have strong opinions about human rights in this country. Immigration, abortion, and LBGTQ matters are just to name a few. In many ways, we could see our nation moving backward in time, but that’s a dangerous recipe for unrest. How easy are we going to make it for them? Not easy enough, I hope.

Instead of wallowing in our sadness, we have to more than ever work for what we believe in, collectively as a nation. More than anything, we have to find a way to mend this divide. Our country cannot sustain itself in the long-term unless we are united, like we’re supposed to be. I’m not sure if that idea is even possible. What I do know is that the greatest thing about our nation is that we never give up on what’s right. For the moment, we must be patient. Mr. Trump has a right to this opportunity to lead us and we all must trust that he will do right by us, all American’s. But if he doesn’t…

Bernie Sander’s said it all: “To the degree that Mr. Trump is serious about pursuing policies that improve the lives of working families in this country, I and other progressives are prepared to work with him. To the degree that he pursues racist, sexist, xenophobic and anti-environment policies, we will vigorously oppose him.”

Amen, Bernie.


3 comments:

  1. I like your "let's see" optimism. It's easy to just assume that Trump's presidency will be the thing of nightmares based off the way he carried himself during the election. We must, however, look forward and do what we can to make sure Trump is held accountable for his words and actions. He is going to be the next president whether people like it or not. We have to deal with this head on.

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  2. We're not divided by States, as was the country in 1860. We're divided by population density.

    By 1865, it was clear that the South was not able to generate sufficient resources to win a conflict. My present day concern is that the cities need the countryside a lot more than the countryside needs the cities. For starters, the infrastructure to keep the cities going is terribly vulnerable to 4GW warfare. Consider the devastation if the power in Boston went out for a week, and the interstates and railways lines blockaded.

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  3. I see what you did there with that title lol

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