by Vicki Phipps

Created on: June 19, 2009   Last Updated: August 27, 2009

It's ironic that America is so divided, considering the fact that we claim to be, "The United States." We've all memorized the phrase, "United we stand and divided we all fall," but the fact remains that there's nothing that can divide us faster than the need for change, and the division makes the whole world think our democracy is just a bit strange, if not insane.

WHAT MAKES THE UNITED STATES DIVIDED IN THE FIRST PLACE:

A democracy isn't easy to keep, because we live within a mix of diversity. That's why free speech often leads to huge social issues, especially when people use their right to freely speak as an excuse to be rude, or to spread their own view of doom and gloom. Thoughts become things and fear based debates lead to hate, which is what creates division in the first place.

1. Fear based hate:

Although we claim to live in the land of the brave, we're always afraid when it comes to change. The fact remains that fear has always been our worst enemy. It creates monsters in our minds that bite our society's behind all the time, and that's why Roosevelt advised us long ago to be brave when he said, "The only thing we need to fear is fear itself."

When we refuse to face what makes us afraid, the facts remain the same. That's why we become divided and fight over who is wrong and who is right. What makes us afraid creates hate between black and white, north and south, democrats and republicans. In the mean time, the strife blocks all the endless possibilities from our view and when we only choose to look through a liberal or conservative view, we only see half the truth.

2. Anti-this and Anti-that facts:

We tend to be against more than we are for, but illogically we wonder why our negative based hate always leads to a negative fate. Then, when anyone dares to go out on a limb and try something different, we'll say things like, "He's the anti-Christ." Why? We miss the endless opportunities to change our big mistakes when we refuse to look through a view of hope and faith. Why can't we see that hope and faith is what made our nation great in the first place? What we resist will always persist, so why don't we try to support more so that we can fight against less?

3. The all about me political philosophy:

The all about me political philosophy is the one that arrogantly tells you the truth through a limited view. They patronize and talk down to you as if you were too stupid to see what the country needs. Their own personal agenda is all that matters

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