The following is an excerpt from a church bulletin in Harwich, Massachusetts. I think it is sadly accurate. I think it is something all Americans should be very concerned about.
Over the course of the last decade or more, we have seen the political landscape undergo a very dramatic change. I long for the days when we had two major parties – one leaning to the left and one leaning to the right, but with the same common goal of working for the good of the whole. In those days, both sides could come together on an issue and engage in something exceedingly rare today – they could compromise with the belief that most Americans are somewhat in the middle and know that you’ve give a little to get a little. We know those days are gone.
The age of compromise has been replaced with the age of tribalism. In this age, politics is a zero-sum game that demonizes the other and will only be satisfied if the other side is completely decimated – no matter the cost. Vengeance and contempt have replaced compromise and progress.
A great sign of this divide comes from a recent CBS/YouGov poll that revealed that 54% of Americans view other Americans as the biggest threat to our nation. That means that both Democrats and Republicans view the other side as more dangerous to American than Russia, China, global warning or any other real threats we face.
Another way of saying all of this is that the temperature on our public discourse is burning hot – as hot as the temperature outside – and we’ve got to find a way of turning it down. This is where I think we, as a people of faith can make a difference and help turn the temperature down and get back to something that resembles civility.
So I ask you. Do you contribute to this climate?
More significant, do you support a politician who is helping to create this threat to our Country?
A very real threat to be sure!
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
So very accurate.
What’s more devastating is that neither side is going to back down or give a little.
They have ‘dug each others grave’.
Fitchs downgrade of the AAA rating cites lack of Governance among other political reasons. Indicting a former President ( for right or wrong) only exacerbates the upcoming attack on Impeachment of Biden and his Bribery of his sons Company in Ukraine.
I do not really any American wants to choose between Biden or Trump!!
LikeLike
* Do not really think any American wants to have to choose between Biden or Trump!
LikeLike
I am an American and I very much support President Biden. He has navigated us carefully through a very difficult time, leaving us with the best economy in my life time, has signed into law a number of critically important landmark bills into law, has been willing over and over to reach across the aisle and compromise, restored faith around the world in America, and most importantly, was able to win an election where frankly our whole way of life was at stake. He is by far the most effective President of my life time. I also have met him personally several times and work with his staff, as I did with the previous administration, and I can tell you from personal experience that he is a genuinely caring person, just as the last administration was truly incompetent and corrupt.
LikeLike
The discord in America goes a lot deeper than just politics, although I do think politicians buy into it. The discord brings votes and fund campaign funds so what’s not to like about it from their viewpoint. There is a deeper, darker wish by radical thinkers and people who are disenchanted with America as it is or it was. The coordinated riots and protests about any and everything wear us down. Division is a tool to bring about some sort of new country here.
An example, in Atlanta a police and fire training center was to be built but protesters from all over the country showed up and have fire bombed construction equipment and attacked security for the job site during the night. The delay has been costly and serves no purpose for protesters from out of state since it was a local police training center. These people are paid to come here and supported by some organization and only for the purpose of disruption. This is an example of deeper division being sown. The politicos are just caught up in the flow.
LikeLike
We had something similar like that happen in DC on Jan 6th.
LikeLike
Richard, I am of the opinion that most, if not all, politicians, especially at the national level, are the ones who created the threat in the first place and continue to throw gasoline on the fire. And the true beneficiaries are those who truly run the oligarchy that this country has become – a government of the lobbyists, by the lobbyists, and for the lobbyists.
And while T-Rump was very unpresidential, Sleepy Joe (T-Rump got that one right) has lulled people into thinking he’s a doddering old fool while enriching himself and his criminal family (while the liberal press looks the other way). He’s the one fooling us.
Why does the current administration try to ban gas stoves, certain light bulbs, microwaves, dishwashers, etc. instead of going after auto makers that took advantage of a loophole in emissions standards and built SUVs and trucks that have lowered emission standards? It would certainly have a greater impact! Maybe the auto makers can afford better lobbyists?
LikeLike
How do you go after the automakers for using a legal loophole? Show me the proposed federal regulations to ban microwaves and dishwashers. And trying to overthrow a democratic election is a heck of a lot more than unpresidential. If Biden was the same as Trump, he would just pardoned his son and moved on instead of allowing this to play out.
LikeLike
I can’t say that I blame them (and hey, those SUVs are comfortable!); the point I poorly made is that we can do a lot to control pollution, emissions (choose whichever term you want) by enforcing stricter controls on vehicles than we can by proposing new regulations on stuff like incadescent light bulbs, gas stoves, dishwashers, ovens, etc. (and a Google search will show that the Biden administration is coming up with these things).
And Biden’s letting things play out is a perspective I had not considered. Thanks for sharing that.
LikeLike
I took your advice and Googled it. It was fascinating that it was all over right wing propganda sites but not in any respectable publications, which immediately made me more curious. Finally found a more comprehensive look at the issue here
https://heatmap.news/politics/dishwashers-biden-conservatives-culture-war
This is really wild. Like…Hey, don’t look at our attempt to overthrow the government. The bad guys are the ones trying to regulate your dishwashers. Liberty or Death!
LikeLike
https://heatmap.news/politics/dishwashers-biden-conservatives-culture-war
LikeLike
“California will ban natural gas heaters, water heaters, and furnaces by 2030. States like New York may follow in suit.”
LikeLike
That is both true, and also not what was claimed originally. Those are state level decisions. President Biden was no more responsible for those changes than he was for Florida’s recent law, stating that schools must now teach that some aspects of slavery were beneficial for black people.
LikeLike
An article on the EPA and DOE proposed bans on various things. Again, I do think we should take care of this place – that’s not the issue here – my suggestion is that we simply apply emissions standards for passenger cars to trucks and SUVs. That would better convince me that the current administration is serious about taking prudent steps to take care of our planet. https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/bidens-crackdown-another-appliance-worse-than-stoves
LikeLike
I agree with you about applying emission standards, especially after a o much progress was reversed during the Trump administration. You will be happy to learn that the Biden administration has indeed proposed new emissions standards. Here is the info sheet from the White House.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/04/12/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-proposes-new-standards-to-protect-public-health-that-will-save-consumers-money-and-increase-energy-security/
LikeLike
This goes back to my main point. You seem like a nice person with good intentions, but read a misleading Fox opinion piece and seem genuinely concerned now about something that is simply not accurate. That is the part I don’t know how to fix. How to convince people to stop voluntarily submitting themselves to misinformation. Then it gets easier to have discussions and find solutions to problems because there is a shared set of facts.
LikeLike
Which politican doesn’t help create this threat? I’m still looking for him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Or her I suspect. There have been many over the years, nit that many now though, but I suggest we have the champ in our midst these days.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You may want to look in the mirror and try to answer your questions honestly
LikeLike
I wish too. But sadly it is not as easy as can we all get along…almost half the country supports a man that openly tried to overthrow our democracy. And is running again for a second chance. That it isn’t something you can compromise with. And his supporters don’t want compromise either because they have been brainwashed that the other side is full of pedophiles who want to take their children. Sadly a lot of this brainwashing is going on in a lot of churches too. So the lack of civility unfortunately has some deeper roots, rooted in the misinformation that a sizeable part of Americans has submitted themselves too. The real discussion should be how to find a balance between free speech and combating dangerous misinformation. And there are no easy answers there.
LikeLike
Why don’t we start with rewriting the Presidential mandatory qualifications and background resume to prohibit any person running for office who does NOT have a 100% clean record of no legal cases (pending or in the books) EVER against him/her.
Each Presidential candidate should submit to a Polygraph test ( just like many of serving in Government must), questioning his Ethics and Moral background.
LikeLike
Why don’t we start with rewriting the Presidential mandatory qualifications and background resume to prohibit any person running for office who does NOT have a 100% clean record of no legal cases (pending or in the books) EVER against him/her.
Each Presidential candidate should submit to a Polygraph test ( just like many of serving in Government must), questioning his Ethics and Moral background.
LikeLike
Or at least not allow candidates to run in order to “pardon themselves”, like the current situation.
LikeLike
Don’t I wish! Thx for sharing.
Sent from my iPhone
<
div dir=”ltr”>
<
blockquote type=”cite”>
LikeLike