You know what I think? Who...I think is Americas greatest enemy? I dont think its Putin and the Russians, and I dont think its a bunch of ragheads in the Middle East or a bunch of outlaws and pirates on the African coast. No, the enemy is much closer....much more dangerous. I think it is those people who would turn us against ourselves...divide us, make the right hand fight the left hand. Can you think of anything more dangerous for America than one part of it hating another part? Look at other countries around the world where one part of the country hates another part......Iraqs Sunnis, Kurds and Shiites have been fighting each other for centuries. I dont know which group is more right than the other group. It does not matter who is more right or who is more wrong....the result is the same....their country is in turmoil, has been in turmoil for decades, and will remain in turmoil for the forseeable future. In the Middle East, the Jews and the Muslims have been fighting for a millenium. Why? Because they have different beliefs, different customs, differences which have grown into hatred for each other....even a determination by some that the other group needs to be killed and removed from the face of the earth. Why? Because they allowed their differences to grow into hatred, and hatred eventually turns to violence, and violence begats violence, revenge, and the circle of destruction evolves. In my opinion there are people in this country...people you see on National TV every night....people who claim to love America....people who live right down the street...people you know and love....who are hurting this Country. In my opinion, these people fall into two groups....the hate-mongers who promote themselves in terms of money and popularity by fanning the flames, and the second group....your friends and neighbors who allow themselves to be radicalized. Dont get me wrong....political debate is a good thing for a democracy, in fact, a democracy depends upon a vigorous debate of different ideas. But what I see every day is rhetoric that goes far beyond a heated exchange of ideas. More often than not, it is name-calling, gross distortions of the truth (lies), accusations of criminal or unconstitutional conduct, ridicule, and more. The first thing you do to stir up your supporters to fight another group....is to demonize the other group. Make your group hate the other group so much that your group feels that they are totally justified....even mandated...to kill off the other folks. Im afraid that some people have already gone off the edge....either to the right or to the left. Its left up to the rest of us to keep a cool head, not only to honestly argue our differences, but to also tolerate them. Its our job to keep us, the conservatives and the liberals, from turning into the Sunnis and the Shiites. Anyone can start a fire...just strike a match to tender fodder. But it takes a lot of hard work to put a fire out, or to rebuild what the fire has destroyed. Personally, I think America is big enough to hold liberals and conservatives, Democrats, Republicans and Tea Partiers. I think the people in south Alabama are just as good as the people in northern Vermont. I like the pot-smokers in Colorado and the Missionary Baptists in Moultrie, Georgia. I like the vegans in Atlanta and the deer hunters in upper Michigan. But I do hate the scoundrels who would turn this country and its people against each other.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 11:06:06 +0000
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