Now I'm just old and dumb, but I at least can see how divided we are as a nation.
And we are divided because of US -- the citizens of this country -- not because of a politician. But because of US and how we treat each other. Neither side has a halo or can claim higher ground in this context. I used to think we were Americans first... then Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Libertarians, etc 2nd. That made sense to me because being AMERICAN was a common denominator that bound us together despite our differences. But this election has proven to me that's not the case at all. The majority of Americans put party before country. And they'll gladly see the country go down in flames as long as the other party doesn't win.
Studies and polls show that half of each party thinks the other party is evil and dangerous. Roughly 50% of Republicans hate Democrats and roughly 50% of Democrats hate Republicans. And we as a nation have drawn our lines in the sand and planted the American flag on our respective sides and equate patriotism with hating the other party.
Not calling Danny out here, but since it was posted today, I can use it as an example. Just look at language of that post -- claiming "Evil never rests." That "evil" is other Americans. Americans who want the same success of and for America but have a different opinion on how to get there. That blog post wasn't written by a politician. It was written by a citizen. Like the thousands of blog posts and memes all of us see on our social meed feeds every day. These are words written by citizens against citizens and reposted, liked, retweeted, and shared by citizens. And the left has their memes and blog posts too claiming Republicans are the harbingers of doom.
None of that vitriol is written by a politician... it's all being written by the citizenry of this country. We are eating ourselves and pointing fingers at Obama and Trump saying they're causing it. I say bullshit. It's on us. We own it. We have no respect for one other and certainly no tolerance for differing opinions. And our representatives in government are only mirroring how we're treating each other.
I don't think Trump can fix this country. Not because I don't like him, but because I don't think any president can at this point. We have to fix ourselves. But that requires humility. And in 2016 humility is a dirty word.
I'm glad the election is over. We will have some peace and quiet until Trump takes office. And then the cycle starts up again of everyone bickering at each other -- the Hatfields vs McCoys.
I love this country and want to see a strong middle class return. But I am a pessimist by nature, which is a personal flaw I have tried so hard to remedy. I think it's just the way my brain is wired. And I have lost faith in the possibility of finding common ground among our citizenry. But again, perhaps I was too dumb to see we never had it in the first place.
My sincere respect to each and every one of you. God bless.
-Antonio
