Why does the US have to be so divided? Why cant we be united again?

Question

Wouldnt it be nice to find commonalities?

jeremy: you might have a point there

beautifully...you're right on that. I'm a lib and used to adore sharpton..now I see him as just a punk. I'm also vehemently against illegals--I'm a los angeles resident and have seen way too many of them

Answer 1

I know what you mean.

No one wants to compromise on their beliefs.

There are a few who will give lip service to "putting differences aside" but they only do so in condescending tones in an attempt to take the moral high ground while their cronies continue to make wildy insulting attacks on the opposition.

We have been polarized for some time now. You will hear more about it in the coming months and years, but this was a strategy implemented by Rove in an attempt to split the democratic opposition and solidify the conservative position.
Many of us has been pointing out the dangers of just such an approach for years, but no one cared. (I myself was disgusted by how the Bush campaign went after McCain, a man I admire)

At any rate, dont expect things to change anytime soon. I think part of the reason why Bush was elected was as a retaliation for the Clinton years. Now I think people are even angrier with Bush and will sweep another Clinton in the White House. After four years of more polarization and partisan politics I expect to see Pat Buchanan or Pat Robertson mount a successful campaign again. Sigh...

Answer 2

Hey Jeremy, how about WWII? The country has never been more united than during WWII. Then men went over sees willingly to fight for a good cause. Some of them lying about their age to join, like my grandfather. The women stepped up and replaced them in the workplace to help keep America's economy going and supply the troops with what they needed. People bought war bonds and rationed food and supplies so the soldiers would not have to go without. Do you need more or will that suffice? If you need more I can certainly keep going.

Answer 3

We, as a nation, have always been divided with few exceptions. One of these exceptions happened right after 9/11, and lasted for far too little time.
I'm afraid with the divisive political climate, that it will take another 9/11, or worse

Answer 4

I think the most united the USA has ever been was during the Revolutionary War, weeks after 9/11, and maybe a few select other times. What separates us is our differences, and some people are too ignorant to accept that fact.

To ducky-Bush didn't divide us. That's exactly why none of us can get along peacefully. You goons are too busy focusing on what Bush has supposedly done wrong and you can't think of one novel idea to help fix our problems.

Answer 5

We've always been this way, through many eras. Whatever the issue. The revolutionary war, the Civil War, the Depression, World Wars. There are always hotheads at both extremes, but we always seem to find some middle ground and muddle through.

Answer 6

Always a divide and its just more well known today is all .

Its a battle by those who want to control your life and those who want you to control your own life .

Those who want people jailed for life and those who want people properly rehabilitated .


Those that want the right to review and check to see if you are a good person who follows all the rules and those who would let you determine what you can do .

Its a fight for your very freedom and those on the right want to take it away and enslave you an those on the left want you to be completely free to make up your own mind .

Answer 7

In what way?

Amendment X was supposed guarantee some division-states have power unless it is expressly given to the Feds.

Or are you meaning political polarization?

During the Revolution Tories had their property taken, were hanged, etc just for political beliefs in a war based mostly on lies and exagerations.
_____________

I know I wont ever find common political ground with someone who wants to use the gov't to enforce their morality. What I am willing to do is put aside my beliefs and compromise for the greater good.

I dont care to be friends with anyone, but I will work with anyone who is willing.

____

Ducky, find a few American citizens of Japanese descent that were alive in WWII and ask them how united we were. Find the Free Thinkers and ask them the same question.

Ask people of Arab descent how unified we were after Sept 11. Luckily few were killed, so you can find quite a few who were just beaten up
_________

So we're united even though we turn on our brothers at the drop of a hat just because they look like our enemies?
How about the South Asians who were abused after 9/11? They dont even look like Muslims and they were being harassed or assaulted for it! Is it in the spirit of unity to attack them just because their ancestors neighbors descendants attacked us?

From the other side; there are quite a few reports of mistreat of Japanese Americans in the 'internment camps'. Also, it is assassine to believe that they were happy about the situation.
They were separated from friends, taken away from their lives, and placed under survellience (this is all disgustingly unconstitutional by the way), merely because their familes came from Asia. They werent even necessarily Japanese. One of the saddest pictures from US history is the Hawiian Boy Scouts putting up a sign about reporting to an internment camp-both are most likely of Asian descent and would be going themselves.

As for the Muslims after 9/11: yes they love the country, but Im sure they werent loving certain things about it at that point. Yeah, we're an awesome country, but anyplace where that can happen still has a long way to go.

All Im saying is that unity always leaves people out. Unity always requires an enemy. Unity always makes things worse for a minority. Id rather have cooperation. You dont have to have anything in common with me, you dont have to even like me. We just have to be able to work together for the common good of the country. Be realistic, we're never going to get people to get over their differences, the most we can hope for is that theyre willing to shut up about them for 5 seconds.

Answer 8

bush and Iraq
but..
yes, that would be nice to find commonalities.

can we start with "bush, worst President ever" as a common ground ?
--------------------------------------
answer for Jeremy

During WWII
and
After 9-11 (before Iraq)

don't you remember that on
Sept 11th. 2001
and
December 7th. 1941
The country came together and was united !

FDR held the country together (kept us united)

bush divided a united nation during a time of war.
-------------------------------------------
hey - show tunes

you have to be kidding , right ?
your going to say America was Not United during WWII because of the Japanese ? that's Silly talk.
even as the Japanese Americans were being lead into camps they still supported their adopted country ! when they got the chance many men in the camps joined the military even though we did not let their family's leave the camp.

as for 9-11, I remember Muslims making a big deal about how much they love America

Answer 9

We share a 'commonality' in our loathing of Al Sharpton, in our protest against illegal immigration and in old episodes of Saved by the Bell.

Answer 10

Can you point to a time in US history when we were "united"?

Your right Ducky - but our sense of unite faded as the memory of those two horrific events began to fade. Much like here in Minneapolis after the 35W bridge collapsed - we were united for the night, the following day the finger pointing began.