As a 64-year-old female veteran, this is the strangest time in American politics of my life, seeming a bit insane & largely self-defeating for our nation. How long is it since we saw ourselves as one nation — broadly diverse, yet one whole?
Identity politics seems to be symptomatic of our disorder: raging divisiveness.
Each state, each city or county is different, so there’s always been room to find a more comfortable culture among our multifaceted population. A garden is one, though its beauty relies largely on its diversity. That’s my vision for us — celebrating our uniqueness within the one garden that is the whole, enjoying our differences without losing sight of our oneness.
While every coin has 2 sides, it seems the vocal minority today are firmly fixated on the negative side of whatever it is. We have the ability & the freedom to chart our own courses, individually, yet when we forget we’re all in the same garden the outcome is less than ideal.
I believe people are wonderful beings with good intentions whose underlying union is being fractured by a clearly visible divide-and-conquer strategy, forever pitting one group — define it how you will — against another. The MSM media are complicit in this, delivering endless bad news showing people in a negative light, be it negative conditions or negative behavior.
We have the appropriate structures in place to bring change. Abolishment of slavery, giving women the vote & property rights, etc., were all accomplished this way, maintaining both order & the integrity of our union. With immigration came the expectation that they would assimilate & abide by our laws. Now people want to remake the nation, refusing to assimilate.
In the past it was common for elections to decide “The will of the people,” & it’s shocking to see that fall apart. Yes, it’s a corrupt system, but it has been for long decades — that’s nothing new — yet previous elections results have been accepted, even when they were quite close. We voiced our displeasure, but were still able to unite behind whoever won.
And yes, we need vigilance to keep it on track. If it’s questioned, then let’s do the research & bring it all to light. In several area recounts where Hillary won, the recounts decreased her vote total, so it’s not clear that the mistakes favored either candidate. Bernie was terribly treated by the DNC. There’s plenty of room for examination & correction, learning from our mistakes on all sides.
Yet, as long as we’re willing to be divided against ourselves we’re going nowhere fast. What does it mean for our country when America no longer accepts the majority vote? I don’t care what you think of him, I've never seen a president so maligned & outright attacked as this one — after he won.
It was common in earlier days to fall back on respect for the office of the presidency when we didn't like the election results — for the sake of the country. Today, that’s nowhere to be seen, the hatred for this man is so intense among those who “lost” the election.
Identity politics calls us to legislate morality from their chosen perspective. Please forgive me for going on about this, but identity politics, the way it’s being practiced, is tearing the garden apart. Equal opportunity is to be desired, not equal outcome, which robs us of the whole point of living, of striving, of growing. This was what Communism represented — & it failed.
Life & liberty are guaranteed, here, but not happiness, which we have the “right to pursue” (Declaration of Independence). Further, Americans’ rights issue from the divine, NOT the government (Declaration of Independence).
This government was structured FOR we, the people; it exists to serve us, not the reverse! Rights, yes, security, yes but not at the cost of liberty. We’re unique in all the world in this, in guaranteeing equality, enshrining freedom, & so many beautiful things.
As a nation of immigrants, we've always been unique, our population always diverse, yet, historically, we came together after the vote, setting our sights on the next election to bring change through the agreed-upon channels.
By protesting this vote, we’re undermining that which has always held us together as a people. It’s frightening.
It’s common, today, to hear people disparaging those who voted for President Trump as being somehow inferior or less worthy (“deplorables,” anyone?) than other voters. What became of one eligible voter, one vote?
Though we’re a democratic Republic, not a Democracy,[1] the popular vote is commonly touted as if that wasn’t the case. More divide-and-conquer at work behind the scenes. The former president even encouraged illegals to vote. 😲 We’re being torn apart from within, ignoring the very structure of our Republic.
What’s common in America, today, is divisiveness — of whatever stripe — Americans turning on other Americans. Mine isn't the only heart crying out over this, calling on us all to remember what we have in common.
As we come together in an atmosphere of respect, honoring everyone, there’s nothing we can’t sort out. Let’s stop trying to control one another. We ALL have free will. All eligible voters are equal at the ballot box. Let us pursue whatever changes through the established avenues designed for such purposes.
God bless us, one & all. 👍
[1] We’re NOT a Democracy — In our Constitutional democratic Republic the popular vote is represented in the House of Representatives. The Senate assures that all states have equal rights, & the 3 branches keep the overall balance. The military, under oath, has authority to deal with “threats, both foreign & domestic.” It’s a solid, balanced system, in other words. Let’s use it!
~♥~
