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Intentionally Dividing Americans Is Evil
Back in Tennessee, we lived on top of a mountain, at the box end of a long, wide valley. Our house was at 3,300 feet, and the floor of the valley was 1,400 feet. In the summers, storms would come barreling up the valley, and we could watch all the turbulence of the clouds below them, while the top of the clouds would light up with lightning and swirl around — a great show. Our kids would run down to the corner of our deck, right on the edge of the cliff, and watch the storm together.
It would be perfectly calm at our house, until the storm hit the cliffs at the end of the valley. Then, all of a sudden, powerful cold gusts would blow up the mountain, lifting the kids from their perch on the edge of the cliff. It never lifted them off their feet, but they would hang on to each other, trying to create their own little sail, and squeal and laugh as they felt it lift them, lighter on their feet. They would laugh and yell until the rain hit them (usually raining UP at that point), and they would come sprinting into the house, looking like crazed, wet birds. Great times.
I love the picture above. I can’t get past the symbolism. The storm is coming. They’re going to get wet and get knocked around a bit. But they’ve got each other, so they don’t care. In fact, together, they look forward to it. The sisters can handle anything together. Disasters go from setbacks to hide from, to roller-coaster rides to enjoy and savor. As long as they have each other, it’ll be fun, not scary. It’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. This picture brings tears to my eyes every time I look at it.
America was once like this. We had each other. We understood one another’s faults, but we loved each other just the same. And our love for one another changed setbacks to opportunities. Because we knew that when things got bad enough, we at least had each other. And things would probably work out. And then we could run back inside, sheltered by our shared strength, and laugh at the setbacks. Together.
My kids are sisters. They grew up together. They know each others’ faults, but they love each other anyway. After all, they’re sisters.
America is different. We don’t share anything obvious in common. We don’t share a common race, or a common religion, or a common background, or a common anything else. But we’re bound together by our belief in a simple ideology. Our belief in liberty and free will.
The efforts we’re seeing right now to separate Americans into hostile tribes is poison. It’s pure evil.
It’s difficult to unite such a diverse group as Americans, and it’s easy to tear us apart. Once we no longer trust each other, our infighting will disable our previously remarkable ability to turn setbacks into opportunities.
Once we’re driven apart, then setbacks become catastrophes, and even opportunities become setbacks. At that point, we’re just looking for something to fight about. And we’ll always find something.
My kids are all in their early 20s now. They’ve reached the age that when something goes wrong, they don’t call me, they call each other. Which is perfect.
I see the efforts of the power-hungry American statists to leverage the divisions inherent in our complex society, as equivalent to efforts to tear siblings away from each other. That may help consolidate power, but it’s needlessly destructive. Which is another way to say pure evil.
That picture of my kids brings tears to my eyes. So does the picture from Iwo Jima. The picture of Biden brings tears to my eyes, as well. For different reasons.
None of this had to happen.
May God continue to bless the United States of America.
Published in General
I very, very use the word “evil” but I do use it for these race Marxists that seek to create enmity between groups. It is exactly the work of satan himself. We need to call it out and not cower from the fight.
Very well put.
Given Biden’s lack of mental acuity, it’s tough to tell if the speech was his thinking or that of Ron Klain and all those “eminent” historians”. Whatever the source, there’s no doubt that Biden has embraced the concept of division and thus, evil.
It’s odd that the phrase used to be “Workers of the World Unite”. Now it’s strictly “Nonproducers of the World Unite”. Biden and his cabinet, Obama, and most of the Democratic leadership; none of them have ever broken a sweat in an honest day’s labor.
Indeed, Doc. We need lots of help right now. If we go down, the world goes down.
I agree about the work of Satan – the Left needs an exorcism. There is almost no common ground with the worst of them; from abortion, to transing the kids, to open borders, to rioting, etc., etc.. There is no way to unite with these people.
I can’t say it better than you have.
From what I have seen of Biden over his career it wouldn’t take much more than instigating hatred for Trump and facing a related threat to get him to express this level of evil against his opposition. He is simple -minded even before the aging.
That’s just the thing: those behind the curtain do not think of Americans as a community. Nor do they think of themselves as Americans – they are beyond all that. Humans are designed to thrive in community. Depriving them of community is inherently destructive and absolutely evil. No euphemism will do.
The unique thing about America and Americans is that – unlike most other nations – we used to be united by a common philosophy rather than by a common ethnicity. If you bought into the traditional Western canon – individual liberty, God given rights, rule of law, capitalism, hard work = success etc… you were in. Didn’t matter what you looked like. It mattered what you believed in. Diversity isn’t a strength. The strength is the shared philosophy that allows for visual diversity. But FJB and his cohorts have stood all that on its head. And a great many believe him. THAT’S scary.
The missing piece that facilitates the sharing of the common bond is the missing community environment as pointed out in the previous comment #8 by @eodmom. The last century of moving almost total power to Washington DC is how this has been accomplished. That is how this evil thrives.
We used to have a common religion, and a common race, pretty much. Probably about 85-95%.
That unity was deliberately and intentionally changed. The teaching of our common religion was driven out of the public schools. Mass immigration from many different parts of the world was adopted in our law, and in addition, illegal immigration was permitted.
It makes me sad. Why would God bless a United States of America that rejects Him?
“They’ve reached the age that when something goes wrong, they don’t call me, they call each other. Which is perfect.”
Isn’t that the best?
When my son fell and smashed his face on the pavement (I believe alcohol might have been involved) by the time I got to the hospital, his siblings had already talked to the doctor, organized a plan for his recuperation, remonstrated with him re: stupidity and alcohol and decided what to have for lunch. My only task was to pay for the meal.
It’s wonderful. It’s the moment you realize: My God. I’m allowed to die now.
Not now, that is. But these morsels of human being you helped bring into the world and rear and care for and yell at…they’re okay without you. If you die, they’ll be sad but not destroyed.
Just wait until you’ve got grandchildren.
Okay, back to the (excellent) metaphor…
We’ve been this divided, and worse, in past times. Brother against brother, father against son, cousin against cousin, and neighbor against neighbor.
Those caught up in and blinded by the pleasures of evil do not easily give them up.
How are we supposed to learn about the Civil War if there aren’t any statues to inspire us to research and think and discuss.
In today’s news from NPR (take from that what you will), there was an article stating that “America’s Christian majority is on track to end.”
I thought that the reasoning of one young lady explained a lot: Her religion no longer fit her “personality and values”.
It certainly didn’t happen overnight. The feel-good culture, the breakup of the family, the importance of “self”, and a number of other things.
And, charlatans such as Joe Biden are always happy to run in to “save” us.
Don’t underestimate how the religious people breed.
And a very informative use of the word “tribes” and the disdain and opposition it’s intended to evoke.
Comment of the month.
So, so true. I haven’t retired yet (I’m 53), but it’s clear that my important work is done. If I die tomorrow, that would be disappointing, but it would be ok.
What an enormous relief.
When my first kid was born, I sold my motorcycle. I could get another one now. I probably won’t (too much ER work – I’ve seen too many things).
But I could.
You do not get to skive off of babysitting that way.
Could not agree with this more. We are being divided, and it is deliberate, to get and maintain power for one side. Nothing matters to them beyond power.
It goes back to the early part of the last century. Socialism was taking root in Europe; why not in the United States? American exceptionalism must be destroyed. There is no way to defeat the USA militarily so it must be done by convincing us that the USA is not worth fighting for. They have made a dreadful amount of progress with this idea, these progressives.
I was supposed to get a motorcycle when I turned 50, because my youngest was graduating from HS. Put it off a bit, and grandchildren started showing up (three, as of April). No motorcycle in the plan, now.
I was at my daughter’s house a couple weeks ago. I asked her fiance for another bourbon, and I saw my daughter roll her eyes.
So now my KIDS are babysitting ME.
Perfect. I’ve done my bit.
Brings to mind Obama’s definition of sin.
Yeah, I always wondered how I was going to confess that one to my priest. Would that fall under “mortal sin”?
It’s my understanding that the name “Satan” means “to scatter” — the opposite of the great gathering force of God. If true, it’s not inaccurate to say that Biden’s speech and the Democrats’ MO generally is satanic.
I don’t know. That sounds like you training your future son-in-law. (:
Well, yes.
It occurs to me that this country was able to reconcile after the Civil War. It must have been difficult but we did it. And the proof lies in all those Confederate monuments that the “presentists” want to tear down.
I don’t condone what the Confederates did, but I’m glad their descendants are able to be my friends. Maybe that is the most important thing those old monuments can teach us.
I am very much in agreement with you, Dr. Bastiat, on how you would like things to be. But I think to some degree you see the past with rose colored glasses. Various angry politicians and political commenters have been telling us for generations that those who vote differently than us are the enemy. And it’s not just those on the left.
It is possible to believe that someone is wrong on a political issue without regarding them as evil, but many people will hold that that is a naive position. It doesn’t even have to be a moral issue, like abortion. I’ve been told on Ricochet that people with my views on international trade deserve to be executed.
They shpuld have nought you a bourbon.