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The country has always been divided, and always will be. That is why we still have states. Each have their own histories, their own flavors, their own culture. Sure, there are broader trends and large, overlapping commonalities, but there are distinctions. These distinctions will not soon disappear. In some way, for over 200 years, there is and quite likely long will be distinctions.

This country used to pride itself on the melting pot concept. Critics of that idea, often espousing a concept called multiculturalism, smugly point out, in their perception, the pot doesn't melt. Homogeneity may be part of the perceived ideal, whether critical of it or not, but that was never really expected. The founders of the country recognized this and enshrined a formula to address differences as well as sameness.

Part of the original checks and balances of our government included provisions in our representation that in some ways allowed an equality between states. Rhode Island and Wyoming get the same number of Senators as New York or California. Yet, the proportional share in the "Lower House," the House of Representatives, was based on a proportional share of population. In that way, yes, New York and California get more votes than Rhode Island and Wyoming, because those states have more people.

Originally, the state governments, as in state legislatures, chose the Senators of that state. The idea was that those people would represent the best interests of the state as a whole. The notion of two such representatives provides flexibility to the states for their selections. Since, early on, presidents were those who won the election and vice presidents were the ones who came in second, there was a precedent wherein states could, if they so chose, send the top two most influential of prospective Senate candidates, even if from opposing parties. Or they could select from the party in power, or the legislature perhaps send their favorite and give deferential nod to the Governor, or any such range of possibilities. Nowadays, after the Constitution was amended, the Senators are popularly elected, but from the whole electorate of the state, not just limited geographic districts. So, Senators are thereby still the aggregate selection of each state for that state's interests.

The Representatives, meanwhile, are apportioned by politically-drawn lines on a map. While sometimes the lines are drawn strangely in order to bolster or dilute the clout of one political party or another, there

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