All for One?

E pluribus unum. Even if you never studied Latin, that fairly simple phrase is probably very familiar. You may have only a passing interest in American history, but those words surely stand out. As one of the traditional mottos of the United States, it says so much about our nation. Directly translated, it means "Out of many, one." It represents the union that formed when the original thirteen colonies became a cohesive single nation.

What e pluribus unum says to me is: we are all Americans. We can have different philosophies and opinions, but at the end of the day we can look around and say that each one of us is a building block that, when brought together, form a unique and successful nation. We are individuals, sure. But we are also the flesh and blood of what we proudly declare to be the greatest country on the planet.

And yet, many among us seem to take great pleasure in pushing us apart.

Opinions are like ...

well, you know

In most presidential elections, we are handed a mixed bag of candidates. Some stand out as possessing leadership skills while others appear to be in the race just to become famous. With a combination of creative speechmaking, expensive advertising, and the good fortune to make fewer mistakes than the opponents, one candidate eventually outlasts the pack and is nominated by the party to lead the ticket going into the Big Show. Since the USA's political structure is not that much different than our love of competitive sports, the choice comes down to a head-to-head matchup of one Democrat and one Republican. And then, the real fight begins.

But it's not limited to the two main opponents. The primary system may in theory be a means of separating the best from the rest, but hard feelings can and do get in the way. By pledging support to an individual candidate early on, some voters just can't bring themselves to maintain that excitement when their choice doesn't survive the process. And that lack of enthusiasm can create just the opening that gives the troublemakers the opportunity to make a little political mischief.

We saw that in the 2016 campaign, coming at us from across the nation and from nefarious global interests. We can expect much more in the next election. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar or a fool. More likely, both.

I'm sick and tired of ...

The nastiness comes at you from all directions. From the president on down, our elected officials can capture your attention with a personal appearance, a featured interview, or a handful of (often misspelled) words in a tweet. The politicians do a mighty fine job of confusing the masses.

Complicating the mess are the millions of pundits, professional and amateur, who find a way to get their message to you. Nationally-distributed TV and radio shows, websites, social media, newspaper columns ... all are fertile territory for political discussions. Full disclosure: yours truly is one of that multitude, with this column (and blog site) mostly devoted to providing my two cents on the subject.

I like to think that I provide a fact-supported viewpoint, though I'm not so naive to think that everyone will agree. But I would hope that my readers can see that I present an opinion without resorting to the childishness that is so easily found on pages just like this one.

Our current political climate seems to depend heavily on misinformation and name-calling. Distorting (or simply ignoring) the facts is a given, as are verbal attacks of an increasingly dangerous level. For many, it's not enough to just disagree when faced with a contrasting opinion. The very notion that someone has a totally different way of thinking is all it takes to cause otherwise rational adults to toss aside any sense of civility.

Our nation's editorial pages are flooded with letters and opinion pieces that serve no purpose except to question the intelligence and patriotism of others. The writers take great pleasure in finding new ways to say the same hateful things. But what they seem to miss is this obvious fact: When you have nothing to say in defense of your candidate or position except to attack the other side, you really have nothing to say.

... being sick and tired

Is there a solution? Can we mend the wounds that all this divisiveness has inflicted upon our fellow Americans? Sadly, the answer may be "no". Or, at least, "not yet". The brokenness that we live in can't be repaired with one hand. As long as it is more satisfying to draw attention to the things that separate us than to embrace the ideals that bring us together, we cannot expect to heal.

Clearly, some among us have no use for unity. They thrive on bitterness and will do and say whatever is necessary to keep us at each others' throats. It is up to mature, thinking Americans to reject the bullies and blowhards. Are we up to the challenge?

Editor's Note: The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the Morrisons Cove Herald owners or employees. Archived columns and resources can be found at Scott's blog, thenonfictionsection.com.