Obama Calls for "Greater Unity" in America

Last Thursday, President Barack Obama made a plea to both politicians and American voters to stop "tearing each other apart" and settle their differences civilly.

"Nothing that human beings do will be perfect" he continued. "But we shouldn't sort of assume that the other side is heartless or doesn't care about sick people or is some socialist/communist who's trying to take over the health care system. We start getting into these caricatures. They're so damaging."

To hear Obama talk, you would think that there had been another "Charles Sumner vs. Preston Brooks" beating on the Senate Floor.

You want to see real damage? You want to see politicians really "tearing each other apart"? There's a YouTube video of how Indian politicians decided to settle their differences after a disagreement. Watch it, and then tell me again how bad we are.

However, the point of this column isn't the entertainment value of so-called "civilized and gentlemanly" politicians getting into brawls.

Obama, as well as the Democrats in general, are once again trying to throw up this "unity is always good" illusion that they so often tout. In some cases, unity can be beneficial... it's the type of unity that Obama wants that's questionable.

Personally, I like the fights that are going on. I'm enjoying watching the politicians on both sides take shots at each other's ideas and beliefs. Not only do they make politics interesting, but the more that the GOP and Dems continue to pound on each other, the clearer the real differences between them come out. One of the biggest complaints I've heard from Americans is that "there are no differences between the Democrats and Republicans, they're all alike".

At one point, that was very close to actually being true. Over the years, the Republicans, having become too comfortable of their positions of power after the voter revolution in '94, had become more concerned with trying to do what would bring them the most votes from the widest base of people, rather than sticking to the conservative beliefs that made them Republicans to begin with. As a result, they had allowed themselves to be watered down so much, that they became known as "Democrat Light".

Unfortunately, average Americans, having been brainwashed by government schools and the mainstream media for years, have become so accustomed to this new form of "moderate Republicanism", that they assumed that this was how Republicans were always supposed to be like. Suddenly liberals, and even moderate Republicans like Colin Powell, are complaining that the Republicans have "shifted too far to the right".

They're not suddenly shifting too far to the right; they're shifting back to the right... the way they used to be.

I prefer to live in a United States that is divided by our beliefs as it currently is, rather than one that is unified under the beliefs of one party.

In other words, I'd rather live in a free, divided country than one unified under tyranny.

Look at North Korea and China. Those are pretty united countries.

So why aren't they happy? Why aren't people flooding to these countries like they are here? I'll let you answer that one.

I live in the state of Florida. It's a pretty conservative state; no state income tax, right-to-work laws, no forced unionization, good concealed-carry laws. It's pretty similar with most southern states.

Now I want conservatives to imagine what it would be like living in our country if it was completely unified under the same belief systems and laws that are common in New England (where I'm originally from). Think you would be happy living here?

To the liberals; I want you to imagine the exact opposite... of your state being forced to live under the same laws and belief systems that are common in states such as, let's say...Texas or Florida. Think you would be happy? Unity doesn't sound quite so grand now, does it?

This is the great thing about America; you don't like the laws or political beliefs of the state you live in? All you have to do is move to a state that's more suitable for your ideals. There are no laws against it, no papers you have to carry. You just do your research, decide which state is best for you... and go. That's it.

It is our differences, and the divisiveness of our ideals and beliefs that force us to bring out the best in us, regardless of which political party you choose to follow... not being forced to unify under one group's ideas or beliefs, like Obama's. It is our divisiveness that has made our country great for hundreds of years.

Leave the one mind-one belief unity garbage to the Chinese and North Koreans.

Links:

Obama Pleads for Civility, Cooperation in Politics: Ben Feller, Associated Press, 01/28/10

Big Political Fight in Indian (sic): YouTube, 07/12/07

Canefight! Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner: U.S. History.org