The Divided States of America: A Country on the Brink of Civil War
Didn’t we learn from our previous mistakes?
We’ve all seen the headlines, we’ve all heard the stories and we’ve all listened to the protests on television, but how much of it really sinks in? How much do we really understand what’s going on in our country right now?
I believe that a lot of people do not know how divided our country truly is right now, and how close to civil war we are as a nation.
I ask you, didn’t we learn from our previous mistakes or is history doomed to repeat itself?
The Origins Of the Divide
There is a growing divide between liberals and conservatives in American politics. The most extreme conservative view posits that American citizens should have as little government as possible and as much freedom as possible.
Liberalism, in contrast, advocates for many services provided by a large and powerful federal government, including social welfare programs like Medicaid and Medicare.
There are also divisions within both groups regarding foreign policy, with isolationists favoring a reduced military presence abroad. Liberals tend to favor increased military spending compared to other countries, while conservatives argue that we already spend too much money on defense.
Conservatives are more likely to support free trade agreements like NAFTA or TPP than liberals, yet they tend to oppose laws regarding labor rights or environmental protection domestically while supporting them internationally.
3 Reasons Why This Divide Isn’t Going Away Any Time Soon
(1) We’re a country founded on diversity, but we’ve become so polarized that each side is insistent on seeing itself as the right one and its opposite as completely wrong. This creates animosity where there could be cooperation.
(2) Where before we were driven by common enemies, now we drive ourselves to combat opposing views in perpetuity. This helps no one, but it also keeps us from making progress where progress is possible.
(3) Partisanship has been used as a tool for so long and has successfully gotten us elected for so long that politicians are more interested in keeping themselves and their party in power than they are in doing what’s best for their constituents.
Ways We Have Unknowingly Contributed To Divide
Our world today is a polarized place, where people are yelling and screaming at each other, throwing around words like racist and sexist to define everything they don’t agree with.
I think we have unknowingly contributed to the divide amongst each other by not putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes. I will give you an example, if someone posted something that makes you mad or uncomfortable, instead of arguing about it, try to understand why that person said that thing.
The way I see it is that people are afraid for their own lives and want change but there is no one leading them or holding their hand so they lash out. We need more unity and understanding towards each other because we all bleed red.
We should be more understanding towards others because when things go wrong, it’s not just your problem; it’s everyone’s problem.
If you can’t find some common ground with your fellow human beings then I fear for our future as a country because we won’t be able to get anything done together if we can’t even talk civilly to one another.
We need more unity between us all because the divided states of America cannot stand. #UnitedWeStand #DividedWeFall!
Reasons Why These Problems Won’t Be Solved Anytime Soon
The two parties have been getting more polarized for decades. While one can question whether or not that’s a bad thing, it’s probably safe to say we shouldn’t expect it to reverse course anytime soon.
Even if both sides wanted to fix everything, they would probably clash over what needs fixing. We won’t solve racial tensions by pretending they don’t exist and we won’t fix income inequality by taking from those who have more and giving to those who have less.
These problems are rooted in deeply held beliefs about race, class, and culture. Beliefs that aren’t going away any time soon.
What Are the Key Issues Dividing America?
The key issues dividing America right now are gun control, abortion rights, and healthcare. When it comes to guns, some Americans think people should be able to buy whatever they want as long as they pass a background check. That has even sparked debates.
On abortion rights, some Americans think Roe v. Wade should be overturned while others believe it’s a constitutional right and shouldn’t be up for debate. And when it comes to healthcare, Americans are divided over whether all citizens should have access to free healthcare through Medicare or if everyone should have access through private insurers instead or neither.
Can America Pull Together as One Nation?
It’s a question that plagues us as a nation. With racially charged issues such as police brutality and #BlackLivesMatter, mass shootings such as Sandy Hook, protests from Ferguson to Baltimore, and Trump’s controversial plan to build a wall between Mexico and America, race relations in America are at an all-time low.
Racial tensions are so bad that there are even reports that state secession is becoming more popular with Black Americans. Looking around today, you’d be hard-pressed to say we’re still one nation under God and you wouldn’t be wrong.
My Final Thoughts
Although I don’t believe we are headed for another civil war, it’s clear that there is a great deal of division in our country. With deep-seated prejudices firmly in place and racial tensions high, we must all work to be more tolerant and accepting of each other if we want our country to thrive.
In order to avoid a divided future, we must all make a greater effort to come together as one people — despite our different views and begin working towards unity instead of division.
Only then can we live up to our nation’s true potential. It’s time for us all to take personal responsibility for how we treat others. Let us learn from history; it doesn’t have to repeat itself again here in America.
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