The American government has shut down. There is a rift between the governing factions of the greatest empire of the last three centuries. The USA is facing more than the loss of ObamaCare. At stake is more than the loss of revenue from closing state parks. The good old US of A is facing the same thing Rome faced — decline. There is one solution to avoid the slide into obscurity; give up anything that causes division.
If you look at the root of many problems in the USA, you find color. Color has shaped the consciousness of this country to the point where many can’t see past it. It’s not just white versus black but brown versus beige. Many people in America identify with color and that ties them to a certain nationality. These ties to certain nationalities create division. America is supposed to be a melting pot, so color or race shouldn’t be a concern. The cure for this divisive mentality is to give up color and nationality altogether.
Identifying with color or nationality opens the door for the division thought process to take root in the mind. A beige person who feels mistreated by a black person will automatically feel slighted because of the difference in color. The same way a German person may feel slighted by a Jewish person in a similar predicament. Color and nationality create boundaries that hinder the interactions between people. Would it be easier to just see another human being instead of a black or white person? If people looked at each other in this way, there would be no division and many problems wouldn’t exist.
The more diverse groups in a country means more division. The saga in Washington has some of its basis in differing political ideologies. One side is Democrat, the other Republican. What difference does it make if the goal is to create a better place for the citizens of the USA? Do you really care if it’s a Democrat or Republican who solves the budget crisis and creates jobs? The differing parties just create chaos, animosity and keep any progress from taking place. The goal is to keep the USA strong, right? Does shutting down the government and creating hatred do this?
Division isn’t just tearing the country apart on a national level; it’s doing a job in the neighborhood. The gang violence that plagues many cities and communities is an example of this. Sadly many of the violent acts aren’t from organized gangs, just people who see others differently. The mentality that separates one group from another because of an address or clothes has led to many caskets being bought. Why not just see everyone as being a living, breathing human being?
Division is running rampant in family life. Instead of a marriage being the union of two becoming one, division comes into play. Many marriages and relationships are divided into men versus women. You have a husband battling with a wife or a wife scheming on a husband. Is there any wonder divorce is the American pastime? If the purpose of marriage or a relationship is becoming one, why then are there two opinions? Sadly this type of manic atmosphere affects the children who are usually forced to take sides against one parent for another.
If people just let go of their misconceived ideologies and saw others as human beings, America may be a better place. The diversity of the country is quickly becoming the poison that is killing the nation. People are more than the crude flesh and maddening mentalities they exhibit. In order for people in the USA to reach the next level of greatness, the division and boundaries have to dissolve.
Frank James IV © 2013
beingfrankwithfrank@gmail.com
The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the writer and not of the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper or NCON Communication, its staff or management. Being Frank is a bi-weekly column exclusive to the Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper.
