Divided States of America

Republicans, Democrats, Tea Party, Liberals, Conservatives, Leftists, Rightists, Federalists, Balanced Budgets, Gridlock

by Sami Jamil Jadallah

 
Let us not fool our self, we are a nation divided, with more things dividing us than uniting us, and the recent failure of both House and Senate to agree on a budget and the shut down of the government is but one of the facts that we are a truly divided nation.
In preparing for this article, I tried my best to see what our political leaders in Washington (Republicans and Democrats) agree on and I found nothing, not even wars not even peace, not even our nation national interests and security.
While our nation faces a gridlock deep rooted in ideological differences, we as people are almost as divided as our political leadership in Washington.
We are divided over war and peace. We are divided over abortion and women rights, we are divided on gun control and the “rights” to bear arms, and divided on whether citizens should carry concealed or unconcealed weapons in public places and we are divided over the issue of “stand your ground” and whether the 2nd Amendment gives citizens the full and absolute rights to “bear arms” or not?
Not only guns divides up but “marijuana” as well, and whether it can be authorized under certain medical conditions or not and whether having a “joint” for private consumption should land you in jail for few years. Not so sure if we agree  on “booze” or not?
We are even more divided on whether we as a nation have national health care though privatized and run by Wall Street corporations and financial institutions or whether we should take our chances and on our own when we become sick and ill. We are divided over the issue whether the Federal Government should mandate health insurance or just leave us alone to decide?
We are a divided nation with the ObamaCare being the “straw that broke the camel’s back” and the power and authority of national governments to mandate how citizens manage their own private affairs and handle there own health issues though we have over 40 millions of us without health or dental insurance.
We are divided over social security whether to privatize it and hand it over to the crooks and thieves on Wall Street or leave it alone as it is. We are divided over issues of poverty, welfare and food stamps with some believing the welfare system producers and nurture lazy bumps, oversexed moms producing too many children from boyfriends or husbands they briefly meet. And whether welfare is a White or a Black or Hispanic issue.
We are divided on whether we believe the poor people are poor because they are lazy, unwilling to work or find a job and are poor as a matter of choice not as a matter of market place and opportunity and the rich are successful because they are smart and hard workers pulling their own boot straps in the land of opportunity and the American Dream.
We are divided over on whether we should have a strong national government or grant states more powers. We are divided over privacy laws and same sex marriage and rights of adoptions by same sex partners and whether this issue is a federal or state issue?
We are divided on use of public land and whether national parks and national reserves and public lands should be open to exploitations by the oil, mining and timber companies or should be left alone for conservation and environmental concerns?
We are divide over the issue of whether we are a Christian nation, or a Judeo-Christian nation (certainly not a Muslim) or a secular nations with separation of church and state and are divided over the issue of public education or for that matter whether education is a right or an option, and whether education per say is the responsibility of the state, the community or parents. We are divided on whether there was a “big bang” or there is “evolution” and we are even more divided on what should the school books teach and who decided on curriculum whether its professional educators or scientists or PTA that decides on issues of curriculum’ or subject matters taught in schools such as “sex education” or co-ed sports and of course the “creation”?
We are a nation divided over property rights and laws and whether “home owners associations” have the rights to dictate the colors on your windows and garage and whether we should have absolute green golf quality grass or have a “Japanese style garden” in our front lawn.
We are divided along racial lines mainly Black and White and throw in Hispanic whenever convenient. Our neighborhoods reflect our fortunes and misfortunes in life and so our schools, safety on our streets, conditions of our sidewalks and “pot holes” in our streets all reflect whether we made it in life or not.
Even our justice or “injustice” system also shows we are a divided nation, with one set of laws for the rich and powerful of Washington and Wall Street and one for the poor in Youngstown, St. Petersburg, St. Louis or Milwaukee. With poor Black kid going to jail for 5 years for stealing a candy bar while a top executive on Wall Street can cheat and “steal” hundreds of millions of dollars from investors and gets a fine the bank pays anyway and never see jails.
We are a nation divided over the ability of our government not only to govern but its ferocity to tell the truth mainly on the 9/11 or the JFK assassination.
We are a nation divided along ideological and value systems of big government, small governments, rights of state v. rights of federal government and divided along “Right”, “Left”, “Conservatives” ‘Liberals”, Democrats and Republicans, Tea and Coffee and are divided over the issue of public and private financing of elections and whether “corporations” are citizens under First Amendment Rights and Free Speech but not subject to criminal prosecutions of its executives when they cheat, lie and commit fraud and mismanage people’s money?
Should we expect this now “United States” to break up along Red and Blue and along ideological and regional differences? With the kind of sleazy boozy Congress there is real danger that this nation is doomed to divisions and becomes the “sick nation” of the Americas.
Perhaps there is one thing we all can agree on, that this political leadership Republicans and Democrats we have in Washington and their alliance with the criminal gangs on Wall Street is taking this country down the road to hell and division and time to make clean sweep of this Congress and elect our own ” we the people”.  if you think of any thing else that unites us, would appreciate hearing from you…

Sami Jamil Jadallah

Sami, a Palestinian-American and a US Army Veteran (66-68), recipient of the “soldier of the month award and leadership award from the 6th Army NCO Academy, is an international legal and business consultant with over 40 years of international experience, in construction, hospitality services, conservation, and defense, in the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa. Sami is a holder of BA, MPA in Public and Environmental Affairs, Jurist Doctor from Indiana University. While at IU he was elected class president, student government president and chairman of the Indiana Students Association,

Active in peace movement as a co-author of the pre-amble for the One State for All of its people and voluntary service program SalamNation. A frequent contributor on national and international affairs. He resides in the United States.