Posted by
Jason Abston on Thursday, July 17, 2008 10:02:57 PM
Recently, there was a story on ABC News that discussed the growing political polarization facing our nation. One statement in the story reads, “Like minded people are pushed to more and more extreme positions when they group together.” Are we growing apart as a nation? And if so, what is causing this division?
Imagine for a moment a family has their home just how they want it. They have pictures of close relatives and friends hanging on the wall as well as monuments such as The Ten Commandments placed around their property. Each day, time is spent reading from the Bible as well as keeping many other time-honored traditions handed down from generations past.
These homeowners are always looking to bring in others to enjoy their good fortune with them, welcoming them with open arms. After many years and many individuals added to the household, there come in a few who want to change everything. These individuals want to take down the pictures and monuments in order to set up their own.
Changing those time-honored traditions are something else these individuals are working for as well, and when someone says something to them about what they are doing, they reply, “YOUR CAUSING DIVISION!”
The home I’m speaking of is our great homeland with all of its traditions and heritage. Those who scream the most about tolerance are often the most intolerant if someone disagrees with them. Pushing the envelope to the extreme to rewrite our history and way of life is often accompanied by degrading those who may disagree with the policies used.
Political correctness has gone to the extreme by pushing out what once was common place. In our area, school children aren’t allowed to have prayer at their graduation ceremonies because of this so called inclusiveness of today. “Prayer may offend someone,” they say. This kind of rhetoric has now gotten to the point of offending me. The one right that isn’t found in the Constitution is the right not to be offended.
The definition of marriage, public display of the Ten Commandments, and many other issues are heavily debated today. Those who want to keep to the traditions of this country are the ones blamed for offending others. Should we cast off who we are as Americans simply because it may offend someone? I think not.