COMPLICITY: A HOUSE DIVIDED




Photo attributed on Twitter to Mary Todd

Since when has political affiliation been more central to self-identification than being, in every sense of the word, an American?

The Conservative agenda has at its fringe a fraction of people that identify as such, but do not represent in any way the majority of the party membership.  I am speaking of the depraved individuals that identify as white supremacists.  There is no denying their right to believe that way based on the facets and core values of our republic.  I say that with the caveat that that belief may be a right, but promoting, enacting or in any way condoning violence to the other Americans of this country--of every creed, race, life choices, and religions is abhorrent and a disgrace to the American creed.  Further, it is illegal and immoral.

Most of the fine people I have known over the course of my life on this planet that identify with the Republican Party are of like mind as I am.  Yet racists are among us.  So, my question is why aren’t we more vocal about their immorality than we are?  Why are they tolerated?  Why when violence from these bigots makes the national and local news aren’t we the first to  condemn the maggots tarnishing our party and agenda?

The answer may be as simple as, we are ashamed and do not want to call negative attention to our party and selves. Maybe we don’t want our friends that share our party affiliations to perceive us as being disloyal or unsupportive.  But, whatever the reason, it is my opinion that we do not advance either party or country by doing so. We often are guilty of promoting our party virtues and ideals over not advancing into light what we despise and of which we are ashamed.

To some then, party has become more central to who we are than being an American and patriot.

My Liberal friends do not get off without notice on my ramblings either. You have racists as well that often disguise as advocates for social reform. Just as white supremacists advance hate, so do those that divide us by making black versus white an everyday narrative in our national and social media. Why don’t some Democrats understand that this divides us rather than  bring us together denouncing this as “enough”?  BLM and ANTIFA and other groups that claim affiliations with the liberal platform have burned cities and businesses, even often destroying livelihoods and homes of their own people. Without question, these blights on our country and morality are not the views and identities of my friends--black and white-- that otherwise share the liberal agenda.

Yet, all I have to do is look back on my timeline to review the times this was in our everyday news to substantiate that my Democrat friends were mostly silent during this time.  Where was your outrage?  Why wasn’t it shared?  

The answers are probably mostly the same as those I have suggested for my Republican friends.

Party before America.

Differences are good.  Diversity in all its forms is good.  The two/three party system is good and necessary.  It keeps everyone honest.  It provides checks and balances.

But I am an old man that believes we can make it better.  We can make it better by not just promoting that of which we are proud in our affiliations, but exposing and publicly denouncing that of which we are not.  By doing so, we make our political parties stronger and we do not allow fringe elements to represent the morality of the majority. In this instance, silence is not a virtue.

We can do better at denouncing that which separates us, divides us by not just glorifying the tenets of our party affiliations of which we believe and are proud, but by publicly denouncing that of which we are ashamed and find abhorrent. It does not make our parties weaker, but immeasurably stronger.  And makes us all more American.

We are all familiar with the quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln “A house divided against itself shall not stand”. 

 Lincoln paraphrased the following passage from the Bible, Matthew 12:25, when he spoke of a house divided:

And Jesus knew their [the Pharisees'] thoughts, and said unto them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand."

Perhaps this message from Christ is more appropriate today than ever.  

As usual, these are just my thoughts and observations and you are entitled to yours.

May God bless us all, and may God always bless America.  







Keith Wayne Ragan

05/18/22

Comments

  1. Ken RaganJuly 14, 2022 at 7:15 AM

    We are reaping the fruits of a generation that that feeds on Twitter and TikTok instead of reading books about history. If America is to regain its mojo, educators will need to start educating instead of indoctrinating.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Keith RaganAugust 25, 2022 at 9:40 AM

    Wise words.

    ReplyDelete

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