House Divided - Nation Torn

If the words have a familiar ring, they should they are from the famous speech given by Abraham Lincoln in 1858. While the issue at the time was slavery and the entry of Kansas to the United States as a Slave State, the corollaries between todays vast divides are not I think very different.

The Divided States of America (DSA) no longer united by shared goals, shared values or even a sense of common humanity it seems. No longer united by the shared tragedy of September 11, for even this has divided us in misery by its outcomes. We are a house divided where once though we might have differences in our politics and religions we came together for the common good, we are now so riven by ideology even families are torn apart by their differences.

Our true history is lost as both sides of the argument dance upon the shifting sands of time and rewrite the books as if they have won the war. It has always been the way, the victor of the war writes the history of the battles and the history of the world before time, shouldn’t we ask the question though; isn’t it past time for us to stop rewriting history and start learning from our history instead. It is only my opinion of course; nevertheless, my answer to this would always be yes.

Consider the horrifying state of America, the divisive nature of our political theater and political leaders, religion and countless so-called faith-based leaders, many who are all too often standing on the same stage. Study the media of today, their ability to permeate every aspect of our lives, repeating, enhancing and even creating ‘news’ for our consumption. The last ingredient of what seems to be the battle for the Divided States of America is the media Talk Pundit, though this name assumes expertise of some nature it is not the reality, instead we our inundated with vitriol aimed at whichever side of the house is perceived as the enemy.

This is not to say that all Politian’s are terrible people, though it is hard to find one that I would leave alone in my home for 5 minutes without counting the silver when I returned. At every level, we are met with divisive language from those who would lead a nation. At every level, we are introduced to new reasons to fear that which might be different or new, by those charted to bring us together in peace. Words and language that even four years ago was considered unfitting for public use, now is not only accepted but also demanded of those who would be President and even those who lead from the pulpits of many high profile religious organizations. Hypocrisy runs rampant through the halls of our nation’s capital, followed closely by obstruction and obfuscation.

Can it be we are on the precipice of a new order? One that will see a nation divided by more than any of the obvious markers we have come to expect as the natural lines of demarcation; those of race, gender, sexual orientation and even the economics of poverty. Could we be looking over the abyss into a choice of moving forward into a future that includes social, technological and human advancement or instead reverting to a past that included hardships, abysmal poverty for many, racial and gender oppression and a nation defined by its religious zealotry, superstition and ignorance? Have we stepped off the edge already and even now falling from the heights into third-world nation status? Is this the future our children will look forward to?

Islamic Law in America: How the Obama Justice Department Is Selling Us Out - McKinleyTheTeaParty.net Red Carpet EventSpeakers: AtlasShrugs- Pamela Geller, JihadWatch.org-Robert Spencer, J. Christian Adams,Robert Muise, Ilario Pantano, CPAC Agenda Item, 2012

“The notion that college education is a cost-effective way to help poor, low-skill, unmarried mothers with high school diplomas or GEDs move up the economic ladder is just wrong.” Rick Santorum, It Takes a Family, Pg. 138, July 2005

Slavery had a disastrous impact on African-American families, yet sadly a child born into slavery in 1860 was more likely to be raised by his mother and father in a two-parent household than was an African-American baby born after the election of the USA‟s first African-American President. Bob Vander Plaats, The Family Leader, The Marriage Vow, 2010

These are samples of a much larger problem and they are intended to point fingers specifically at the uncompromising philosophies, each example represents the rhetoric of disunion. These are examples of what would have once been considered the extreme, now they are commonplace and each are unapologetic in their acrimony.

If we continue on this precarious path soon we will be a nation without empathy or compassion, a nation led by sociopaths using the tools of fear and hate as a means of controlling an already downtrodden citizenry. The lessons of history will be lost in the morass of tangled lies, religious chicanery and corporate manipulation of our political systems for personal gain. Already we have seen much of this in the past three years and certain the current race for the Republican nomination has brought to light some of the worst of human nature.

But what is to be done? Abraham Lincoln didn’t come to his famous speech without inspiration; in fact, his inspiration was taken directly from Biblical thought.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom, divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand?” Matthew 12:25-26, Holy Bible New International

The only question that remains, are we a people that can set aside ideology and parties long enough to pick what is right and save our nation?