I have sadly come to believe that perhaps America has become a house divided. There are so many labels today that people seem to want to put on themselves such as Hispanic Americans, Afro Americans, Chinese Americans, Indian Americans, Native Americans, etc. etc. etc.
While these are telling, they are not what bothers me most. The labels liberal, conservative, tea party, Socialist, left-wing, ultra liberal, diehard Democrat, staunch Republican etc. seem to have become extremely more important than the label American.
Whatever your politics, this nation is facing internal problems the like of which I have never seen in my lifetime, and believe me, my lifetime spans more than most of you. We seem to be facing these problems, not as Americans, but in accordance with the label we place on our politics.
If one’s politics leans toward the liberal side, the answer seems to be to blame past politicians who are of the conservative bent, or the current politicians of the other party. If you are conservative, then the blame seems to go to the liberal side, while we play the blame game absolutely nothing gets done to solve our problems.
We need to start thinking as Americans, not liberals or conservatives, not as Afro-Americans, not as Hispanic Americans, not as Asian Americans, not as Native Americans, but as Americans.
We also need to take a hard look at the people we have elected to represent us, not just the current administration, but Congress, state legislators, state governors, and all elected officials who seem to want to make a career out of politics.
It was never the intent of our founding fathers that politicians would make careers out of serving in the Congress or the presidency, rather it was their intent that it was a privilege to serve and an obligation, and the service would last 4 to 8 years, and then those elected would return to their former lives and occupations. Let’s face it, today our representatives seem to think that being elected and serving their country as an elected official is a career, lifelong, opportunity, and they therefore operate in their own best interest to be reelected, rather than the best interests of the country.
Also, we need to start labeling corruption and incompetence for what they are, and stop making excuses for government officials who are either corrupt or incompetent. We need, as Americans, to demand their resignations, and if warranted, their prosecution. We cannot survive in a culture of management excuses and ” I’m sorrys” and excuses that seem to blame those under the management of those making the excuses. If a government official, in a management position, cannot manage those under him or her, then they need to go to another line of work.
We live in the world as it is today, not yesterday. While mistakes may have been made in the past, constantly blaming those responsible at that time does not serve to solve the problems of today.
The solution is clear, we need to stop thinking of ourselves with labels of conservative, liberal, and quit placing our ethnic backgrounds in front of our country, we are, first and foremost, Americans. Until we start thinking of ourselves as Americans first, putting what is best for the country ahead of what is best for our pocketbooks, and our ethnic and political persuasions background second, we will continue down the road to self destruction, we need not fear a foreign enemy as long as we keep dividing ourselves into factions and political ideologies.
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What’s that saying? I have seen the enemy and it is us? Or something to that effect. I have this Norman Rockwell feel that American society is a lot like a well-constructed quilt, but through the years it feels less of that and more like an amalgam of fiefdoms. Sigh. Still, I think there’s hope for America.