“My time flies!” may be one of the more common clichés, but it nonetheless rings absolutely true. It surely doesn’t seem like almost 12 months ago that the world was shouting “Happy New Year” in welcoming 2022 with renewed hope and optimism.
And as 2022 fades into history, again hope lives that the new year 2023 will be THE year when at last hopes and dreams are realized and prayers answered.
Many Americans began 2022 with hopes, resolutions, and prayers for a more united nation. But they are likely very disappointed as the year ends as the nation seems more divided than ever, with politics at the root of the divide. Underlining this division, most recent polls on political issues often split down the middle.
The sharp divisions created by politics and political related issues in America are regrettably steadily creeping to create sharp divisions among workers at the workplace, within families, among members of churches; and has definitely sharpened the divide between races and ethnic groups.
But Americans cannot, and must not, allow politics to become a powerful wedge that ruins whatever realistic chance there is to have even the semblance of an integrated nation.
In the second half of the 19th century America was bitterly divided between northern and southern states over the philosophy and practice of slavery. This led to a bitter civil war, the repercussions of which are still being felt in areas such as racism.
Today, the divisions created by political ideologies seem to be more powerful than those of the late 19th century. While those divisions separated northern and southern states, the divisions being experienced today are creating sharp rifts within several cities and communities. While in the past people of different parties and political ideologies could share friendly rivalry, today it is not surprising for political differences to spawn enmity and permanently destroy close relationships.
So stark are the divisions being created by politics in the US, that there actually are people, including learned commentators, who believe if this divide is not breached soon, the country could again explode in serious civil turmoil.
It is a really sad reflection that the growing divide threatening America’s unity comes from an implicit trust in politicians and political institutions, rather than trusting a higher power. This sadness is further enhanced by people who live and express, particularly through their various social media messages, that they are fanatically supportive of a system where presidents, powers and principalities represent, or seek to command ultimate power.
Presidents will come and go; political institutions will hold and lose power; and political scenarios, even in totalitarian states, are temporary and transitional. People should therefore not allow politics to shred the communities in which they live.
In the current divisional atmosphere of America, it may seem to some that it’s easier to talk about national and community unity than to actual achieve such unity. But that is a lie.
Unity begins at the core of communities. It begins with people respecting each other and respecting each other points of view. No two people, not even a married couple, will have exact views on every subject. Married couples who live in a united relationship despite their differences, including political, are the foundation of united families and united families are the foundation of united communities.
People, whether they are born Americans, or immigrants, must concentrate on respecting each other and each other views. This could likely spawn more tolerant and united communities.
National pride is another factor that contributes to national unity. But this seems more possible in smaller nations than in the sprawling United States. However, a glimpse of such unity was briefly seen for a few days as Americans rallied behind the US teams in the recently concluded soccer World Cup tournament.
Although the US is a diverse nation racially, ethnically, and religiously, there are nonetheless several reasons why pride in various aspects of the nation’s accomplishments should be able to provoke passions of national unity.
It’s pivotal for the sake of the quality and security of their lives that individually and collectively, Americans try to prevent politicians and political issues from ruining and destroying the potential for a truly united America. This is especially important in what will likely be a very politically active 2023 with an incoming US House of Representatives led by Republicans, and a US Senate led by Democrats.
Meanwhile, give thanks for surviving 2022, and to everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR.
