Isn't it funny how a country that prides itself with acceptance also seems to be completely against itself? What was it that Lincoln once said? I believe it was "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Although Lincoln was addressing slavery and the Civil War when saying this, but the quote is still relevant today.
America is not some great kind of machine, able to crank out progress both in societal practice and in technology. America is one big shouting match. Imagine two old men sitting in a park. A bird flies overhead. Old man #1 states, "I believe, my dear fellow, that this bird is a hawk". The other old man would raise his big bushy eyebrows and say "No you bumbling buffoon, that is a plane!" The argument goes on until these two elderly men, who before had nothing but fraternal feelings for each other, now harbor nothing but bitter resentment. This is the country we live in.
Think about it for a second. You can't both be pro-BLM and be pro-cop. One cannot have some conservative values, and want the country to progress into the future. One cannot be pro-guns but also pro-gun control. One cannot have an opinion without having to trash another person's opinion. Which is idiotic in my opinion.
The United States feeds off of this duality. It is not just what fuels our competitive economy and our almost static government, but what drives each and every american. We value movies where friends fight (Captain America: Civil War, for example, or Batman vs. Superman) and drive each other apart. We don't choose presidential candidates based upon their ability to bring the nation together, but rather we choose people who are either controversial or just outlandish. But why is this? Why are we like this?
In truth, we crave the divide. As Americans, we are taught that our nation is superior, and that practically everything we do, we do it better than someone else. Whenever America is judged, it must be against the actions of another country. As a populace, we crave having an antagonist. We crave that fight. How else can we proclaim that we are better if we cannot argue with someone else? And yet, although I am aware of this issue, I am guilty of the same exact problem, whether it's school or work, things always end up being a competition. Can we break this cycle? Is there any hope for us?
