Divided States of America
‘United We Stand,’ ‘In God We Trust,’ etc. Do we really believe in it or are they just slogans on our currencies and monuments? Are the United States of America, or, as the heading says, Divided States of America? The recent events in Charlottesville, VA has held a mirror in front of us to show the ugly side of us. Unfortunately, our President has sided the wrong side, stoking hatred in everyone. Hatred in his supporters directed towards the other side, and hatred towards himself by his opponents. He has given the strength and power to his followers to blatantly spew anger and fury towards everyone they deem to be inferior to them. Not just the entire country, but the whole world is aghast with the statements he has made.
I fear that my book, Return To Earth, will become a historical document rather than a science fiction novel (as I had intended). I pray that I’m wrong.
Here’s what I wrote in November of 2016 — after the elections:
United We Stand?
Are we really united? Are we? Really? The 2016 elections have shown how divided we are. And not just as a country, but a division between family members, spouses, friends, colleagues. It has held a mirror in front of us to reveal the ugliness in us that has been dormant. Is it ugliness or fear? The fear of the unknown which was very cleverly manipulated into a monstrous figure by a very crooked and opportune businessman (to call him a politician would be a mistake). Just look at what we have become. Every time we interact with anyone who doesn’t agree with us, the first thought that comes to our mind is the opposite person’s political preference — is he or she a Democrat or a Republican. The color of our skin plays a significant role in our party affiliation, although, we can be wrong.
We have all cherished our liberty and freedom. But we will lose it if we allow it. We have to guard it fiercely, and not just as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans. Sure, we have a lot of differences. But they are magnified because we let that happen to us. We have forgotten to care about the other side. ‘We are united’ — words which once have been a source of pride have changed their position to plant a seed of doubt in our minds, ‘Are we united?’
America has become a sick patient where the two doctors, one a Democrat and one a Republican has relentlessly fought over who is more qualified to treat it. In meanwhile, America has been dying — the operation may be successful for them, but the patient is dead. Each side spent millions to win, and to what avail? Every four years each side fights bitterly, and after the elections, the winner has to heal the country. But they are the ones who destroyed it in the first place. Why can’t be our election cycles be shorter — and less expensive? We have lost faith in our Government, Congress has the lowest approval rating ever, but do the politicians care? Not at all; they are too busy fighting for us. They have become our watchdogs so that we can rest in peace that someone is guarding our interest. But these watchdogs are feasting on our country. We need to do something to decentralize the power.
All this is only possible if we exist. And the only way for us to exist is if our planet exists. All our debates, differences, and hatreds towards each other is only possible if we acknowledge that Earth is in great peril, and we have to do something about it. That should be our number one priority. Only if we survive, can we debate over Supreme Court nominee, Democrats vs. Republicans, Roe vs. Wade, our Constitution, our foreign policies, etc., The very first step in solving this problem is to acknowledge that there is a problem. If we refuse to do so, we are doomed — all of us, Democrats, Republicans, Christians, Muslims, gays, straights, blacks, browns, yellows, all of us. All the holiest places of worship will disappear, irrespective of which religion they are from. We have to do something to save our planet so that we can keep on fighting amongst us. Nobody can claim that they have seen heaven or hell; however, everyone can say that they have seen Earth. So, it’s up to us to make this into a heaven or a living hell, and from the looks of it, we are rapidly barreling towards the latter.
We all pride ourselves in calling us Americans, and that has been, and always should be our common bond. The moment we start having us vs. them mentality, we endanger ourselves falling into a never-ending abyss, and as I’ve written in my first book, it will never stop, never. We, as a society, have become so self-absorbed with our gadgets, gizmos, social media, and what not that we don’t have any time to listen — listen to our loved ones, let alone the opposite side. For us, ‘I’ has become capital. Everything is always about me or mine and never you or yours.
If things don’t go our way, we throw tantrums, and when they do, we gloat. Have we even bothered to feel the opposite person’s pain and suffering? If we go down this destructive path, I fear that America will have to be subjected to a two-state-solution. It’s up to us. Have we become a society so dull that some of us can only digest one-hundred and forty characters at a time? If we continue our hatred towards each other, there won’t be a Democratic or a Republican party.
Being in The United States, my knowledge may be limited to this country; however, this is true for all the countries in our world. Everywhere I look is death and destruction. Would you call this progress? Each country seems to be getting polarized with nativism and nationalism. While we have progressed tremendously scientifically, it appears that politically we have regressed, and now we may be on the verge of undoing many signs of progress we have made. If the privileged few continue to be greedy, I fear that it’ll be the French Revolution all over again.
The only way for us to avoid this tragedy to repeat is for all of us — and not just a few of us — to acknowledge that we have a problem. Our number one priority is to save our home — our Earth.
