As the nation celebrates its independence, it is possible that we are more divided as a country that at any time since the War Between the States.
Led by the example of the White House and the various members of Congress, it seems that Americans are taking opposite sides of nearly every single issue. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” It was true in the early 1860s and it is true today.
Why there seems to be virtue in conflict and no honor in co-operation, I do not know. It has been noted that Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill were polar opposites. Reagan, a Republican and conservative, and O’Neill, a Democrat and liberal. Yet, the two men respected each other and hammered out a number of compromises.
Not today. Today, there is the smell and feel of warfare, a “take no prisoners” attitude, a sense of mutually assured destruction that leaves no room for negotiation.
This Washington dysfunction has filtered down to all political facets of society — right down to local city councils and county commissions. Shouting matches, name calling, the presence of police at such gatherings to maintain the peace, has become all too common. Civility has been lost and even simple respect for those of opposing views has fallen by the wayside.
More and more Americans are calling for term limits on senators and representatives. It will not happen, of course, because none of them will be willing to do what is necessary for the public good. Local governments have a much better chance of reform because they are more closely tied to the people they represent and, in many cases, term limits are in effect.
The political atmosphere at the national level has been so negatively charged that the average citizen has come to believe that all politicians are in the game for their own gain and, if not already corrupt, soon will be.
And the citizenry, taking its lead from its leaders, has largely abandoned civility as well. The latest indication of how rude the populace has become can be seen in the reactions to the Supreme Court’s decision on same-sex marriages.
As one checks into the social media outlets, one is hard pressed to find anyone speaking at anything other than a shout — often a curse — at those who hold opposing views. There is very little discourse in the land but diatribe abounds.
Unfortunately, the country has come to a place where tragedy seems to be the only thing that unites our people — such as a 9/11 — and that unity is usually short-lived. We have become a nation of accusers, of shouters, of picket lines, of lawsuits, of hyphenated last names.
It ought not to be so. There is even rancorous disagreement over whether this country is a great nation or the cause of all the world’s ills.
This must cease if we are to survive as a nation. Our leaders will not stop it because they have much to gain by the divisions among us. It must start with you … and me. We must be able to simply … talk. And talk without shouting, without accusing, without name-calling.
If enough people refuse to participate in the madness of hostility, it may be that it will catch on. This country barely survived one un-civil war. It cannot endure another.
[David Epps is the pastor of the Cathedral of Christ the King, Sharpsburg, Ga. (www.ctkcec.org). He is the bishop of the Mid-South Diocese which consists of Georgia and Tennessee (www.midsouthdiocese.org) and the Associate Endorser for the Department of the Armed Forces, U. S. Military Chaplains, ICCEC. He may contacted at frepps@ctkcec.org.]
