One year down.
On this day last year we watched our televisions in suspense. We stayed up late and wondered if the exit polls would give a solid indication of the next four years. Both sides went to bed with sour stomachs from the bitter words and fatalistic sneers we had traded.
We have not recovered from our neighborhood divorces. "Being American" maintains vastly different implications for the Red and Blue among us. The same issues that divided us have deepened. Election bumper stickers still trade jabs in traffic.
Can we really live like this for three more years?
We have not recovered from our neighborhood divorces. "Being American" maintains vastly different implications for the Red and Blue among us. The same issues that divided us have deepened. Election bumper stickers still trade jabs in traffic.
Can we really live like this for three more years?
posted by Erin 9:52 AM
6 Comments:
We we live for the day when someone truly unites us. That's what keeps me going or I would have moved to Italy long ago.
I don't remember politics ever being this polarizing before - not in my time, anyway. It's disturbing, all this demonizing of the enemy that goes on. I'm liberal and increasingly so with every day of my life, but I have to shut my ears to some of the more hate-spewing rhetoric from my fellow Democrats. It's too easy to get sucked into that, and those feelings just don't help.
You said it best Nancy -- things have almost never been this polarized or this nasty, in terms of the rhetoric being employed. Words have ceased to be tools and have become weapons in a horribly vitriolic manner. It just heightens my belief that for American democracy to be saved (or save itself), we will have to see the advent of a third (or even fourth party), or possibly even a multi-party system. With our current two-party system, it becomes to easy to pit one side against the other and have nothing get done. With a multi-party system, groups/factions/single-issue parties are forced to cooperate and enter into coalitions to get things done. I'm not arguing for a British parliamentary system, but more like a German-type environment where many parties are compelled to work together to acheive their ends.
But, no, Erin, we can NOT live like this for 3 more years....
Thanks for the responses. I think it is very interesting that Charles says we need a uniting figure to align ourselves under, while N concludes that we need to have a more ideologically diverse base of power. Two very different conclusions, but I see where you both have a valid point.
Nancy- I really agree with you. I have people in my life that I love on both sides of the political aisle. I respect them too much to not hear their hearts and intentions behind their political views.
Most of all, I hate to see religion used as a political strategy. As a Christian, I feel very strongly that the Church should be a prophetic voice speaking into and affecting our culture on a unique plane, not a trump card to by played by any politician or political party.
So the question is, what should be the mission of the government and what should be the mission of the church? I feel that when you answer this question personal politics and decisions are made easier, but that is just me.
Bumper stickers and mean people aren't going to kill me, so I suppose I have no choice but to live for 3 more years. I'm just afraid of what the 4 years after that hold. Things tend to get worse before they get better.
Good question Jen. I wish that I had a more defined answer, but then again, maybe not having a solid opion is the flexibility we have in youth.
You are right, things do tend to get worse first! I'll hold onto my foolish optimism for a while longer, but I think the theme for the next three years is set.
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