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 to them, so anyone who disagrees is the enemy. They are terrified by the fact that they can't be right all the time, and anyone who listens to the other guy sometimes is a threat , like a monster in their fearful minds.
We become so distracted by our greed and the need to be right that we don't see the forest for all the trees. We can't look through an empathetic view when we believe the American dream is all about me. We can't step into someone else's shoes when we don't stop to think of anyone else but ourselves before we use our right to freely speak what we think is the truth. It seems to me that we only choose to say what's on our minds when we are most afraid, but we refuse to see the reality that nothing good comes from doom and gloom.
All about me political philosophies create hate and use fear based debates to manipulate you into being afraid too. Like Rush Limbaugh, they don't think of what benefits all. If he ever stopped to think before he used his right to freely say, "I hope Obama fails some day," he'd see where his, "know it all," mentality might lead. People like him tend to rant and rave to create a predetermined destiny of fear and hate, but it was hope and faith that got Obama elected in the first place. Then again, to wish that the President of the United States will fail miserably, means to me that Rush hopes we will all end up naked in the streets, just so he can be right and say, "I told you so," some day. That's exactly what we don't need, today of all times. To overcome what just might be our demise, we need to open our minds and listen to the other guy sometimes.
4. A sense of entitlement:
It seems as if we've come to believe that heaven, earth and the universe could and should revolve around the United States, and as divided as we've become, we don't see that we need to do what benefits everyone, not just some. We tend to feel entitled to what the world has to offer, and when we run out of stuff, we believe another country owes us that much. Then, when we take was does not belong to us, we wonder why other countries hate our guts so much.
We need to see the reality that the American Dream is not all about Americans, but it comes from what is best for heaven, earth and the universe. The more options we provide, the more equal our rights. The more we give back, the more opportunities for more human beings to achieve what we believe should be the American dream, world wide. Because that's true, let's stop communicating what we debate through a view of fear based hate, because you see, what makes us afraid becomes a monster that bites the whole world's behind. Fear is more often than not based on ignorance, not facts. Through a stereotypical view, our fear based debates take away all hope and faith. It creates wars too.
When we achieve what seems to be the American dream, some of us get a bit arrogant and claim that the sky high price of greed is actually, "Free Enterprise." With our sense of entitlement, we say we need to take personal responsibility for our own financial demise, while we rob others blind at the same time. That's when the government will give us a tax break to manipulate our brains into believing that a tax fact would in fact, boost the economy for all, but in spite of the boost they say they gave and with tax breaks all over the place, the economy still sucks and more than a few countries hate still our guts. We act like spoiled brats who are afraid of change and wonder why the facts remain the same.
5. No hope and the lack of faith:
We've made huge mistakes for the past decade, but as of today, we are still afraid of change. Some of us even blame Obama, for heaven's sake. After all, he had the audacity to communicate through a view of hope and faith. He based his campaign on a, "Yes, we can," attitude, so those who chose not to vote for hope and faith assume that Obama must be a threat to the country. It makes no sense, but common sense has nothing to do with what terrifies you.
Although most of us pray for our government and the President of the United States, we still don't have the faith it takes to believe that God is actually giving us exactly what we asked to receive. It takes hope and faith to see beyond what makes us afraid, and when we go through what it takes to change, we always find the American dream resides on the other side of fear, strife and hate.
We've seen that, in fact, hope and faith always wins in the end, so why are we still blind to what made the United States great in the first place? Let's open our eyes and minds. Let's stand united for more and against less, at least sometimes. Let's look through a diverse view of the truth, so that we can keep our democracy. Let's choose to think and do what is best for all, and let's keep in mind that we all come from one root. Heaven, earth and the universe does not revolve around just some Americans, so let's consider the fact that the whole world is watching what we freely choose to think, say and do.