A Country Divided

by Michele Boy | November 5, 2020

I am writing this the morning after Election Day and I hope there is no declared winner yet. That sounds terrible doesn’t it? But if we could all stop listening to the national media or better yet the national media stops the tired rhetoric.  The voters in 2016 and 2020 have shown that the country is divided. Yes there are hate groups. Yes there are militants. But for the most part we all are willing to have a conversation about most subjects. Clearly there are a few untouchable subjects where no one’s minds will be changed. But for the most part we are all the same.

So can we pause and put our swords down and work together?

Can you admit your particular news channel is spinning the news some way? Would you be willing to give a little for the good of the country?

There are a couple subjects that I am an absolute on. But for the most part I can compromise.

It’s no secret my parents divorce was ugly. If it happened today my sister and I would have been an Amber alert. My parents would have gone to jail for fighting. Yes physically beating each other. My mom would also have gone to jail for check fraud, hiding money. They were both right about certain things and both wrong. There was no co-parenting for the good of the family.

My dad was right that my mom wasn’t a mom. She wanted to go have fun and not invest the time in her children. My mom was right that my dad was too controlling. She would try to get a job and he would get her fired.

What if my mom invested a little more time in her children? What if my dad let her have a mom’s night out once in a while?

What if we sat down with a mediator and had a real discussion that these are real problems? You can’t ignore a problem just because it is somebody else’s problem.

I am sure I have told this story many times. But it is not for “poor me.”  It is to reiterate that we have to work together. And if your story is that all of the people  voting red are white Supremacists you are wrong. And if you think everyone who voted blue chooses full on socialism you are wrong as well.

So where are we? We are a nation divided. I prefer our country not become an Amber alert. Perhaps our leaders could co-parent a little better?

Or maybe I am a dreamer. Maybe we are in a full on red vs blue war? I hope not.