Lines Create Division

A Soldier, Patriot, and American

I offer this thought.  How do we, Americans, continue progress and create a modern society that is accepting of all regardless of the group you belong to?  The short answer, we cant; not without each other.  We will not be able to move forward because we continue to create lines and categorize each other.

In other instances, categories assist us in organizing, understanding, and assist in progress; however, this is not the case when we create, separate, and use defined lines for people.  When we add lines we add the polarization of what is wrong and right.  When this occurs tensions create friction and friction is not progress.

Yes we should celebrate our differences but not at the expense of alienating another.  A single group cannot claim superiority over another, that’s asinine.  Groups should not receive special treatment or a higher consideration for decisions involving specific differences, as this adds to unnecessary thoughts of entitlement.

But the world continues to categorize humankind and doing so creates more and more lines.  The more lines we add, the further away and harder it is to see our likeness.  Think about the U.S. in the beginning.  Regardless of why or what motivations led to the eventual formation of this great nation, a thought existed:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

This thought changed the landscape of inter-human relations in the world forever.  It also led to equality, tolerance, abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage, and American’s current fight for continued progress.  The first group created in this nation, were Americans.  Closeness, shared efficacy, and common decency for, existed within the group.  Yes it did take evolution and revolution but it started as a thought and later a belief from those continuing to carry the banner.

As time went on we added line, after line, after line.  If we continue surrounding ourselves with these lines, we remove ourselves from each-other.  Compassion, empathy, and respect will also be removed.  When this occurs, a breakdown of civilization will happen.  If history has taught us anything, differences create revolutions, but they also create war, which is hell on earth.

Lines are fractures, in bones like society; create instability and jeopardize the integrity of our foundation.  We must heal and give great consideration so we may blur these lines to recreate our original similarity, American.

Take everything that is different from you and wrap those differences in the American Flag.  If you still retain the ability to hold discontent for and hate against those differences, you are problem not America and what she represents.

We can do better, We the People deserve better; We must Defend American Values.