Can the American people set aside politically sponsored divisions to repair our fractured nation?

2016-05-23T12:11:57-04:00

Both of our major political parties cause division that prevents many Americans from finding the middle ground we would naturally find, can we come together to put them in their place and back to work for us as was intended?

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 23 at 2016 12:13 PM

2016-05-23T12:13:44-04:00

We can hope. This BS has gone on too long!

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made May 23 at 2016 12:14 PM

2016-05-23T12:14:51-04:00

Sure! As soon as you see it MY way :)

Response by CPT Jack Durish made May 23 at 2016 12:16 PM

2016-05-23T12:16:46-04:00

Actually, no. Sadly, there is an ideology, oft repeated, oft failed, that is destroying America. How can we ignore it? How can we cooperate with it? How can we even condone it? We must fight it. We must fight it with the ferocity of junk yard dogs. When we return to a state in which opposing parties share a common goal, "a more perfect union" as conceived in the Constitution, there will still be a divide, but at least it can be bridged.

Response by LTC Yinon Weiss made May 23 at 2016 12:32 PM

2016-05-23T12:32:51-04:00

When you speak of middle ground, which of your core principles are you willing to compromise on, and in which ways? To get to a middle ground, both sides have to give something up which is important to them. What would you compromise?

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made May 23 at 2016 12:41 PM

2016-05-23T12:41:52-04:00

Oh, how I wish. But those politically sponsored divisions are deeply rooted in social and economic ideologies, among others. Trying to ignore those roots to find commonality under those conditions seems to be nigh unto impossible.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 23 at 2016 12:45 PM

2016-05-23T12:45:20-04:00

Most arguments can be boiled down to economics. We have x amount of resources and can't agree how to best use them. So ... No.

Response by Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM made May 23 at 2016 12:45 PM

2016-05-23T12:45:41-04:00

No, not at this point in our History.

Response by SPC David S. made May 23 at 2016 12:58 PM

2016-05-23T12:58:48-04:00

Its simple get big money out of politics. You want to know what most politicians have top of mind on - fundraising so they can stay elected. Now with the Clinton's Foundation new business model of running a non profit as a pay to play racket things get much worse as the sphere of influence isn't just typical big business money - its foreign countries overriding US national interests. Get the money out and make such activity illegal it might clean up politics - however the ones looking for the money are also the ones that write the laws. The animals are running the zoo.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/08/call-time-congressional-fundraising_n_2427291.html

Call Time For Congress Shows How Fundraising Dominates Bleak Work Life

WASHINGTON -- Welcome to town, new members of Congress. Now hit the phones. For an incoming member of Congress still basking in the glow of electoral...

Response by Eugen Toma made May 23 at 2016 1:29 PM

2016-05-23T13:29:33-04:00

Not possible as long as money, greed and power is their only goal...

Response by CPT Kurk Harris made May 23 at 2016 1:37 PM

2016-05-23T13:37:21-04:00

I have read the posts here and I think everybody makes very valid points. I see idealogues on the left and right who refuse to try to find common ground. Many have the opinion that common ground means you give up what you want to have and meet me where I stand, and that is common ground. I call BS. The other major issue I see is with undue influence of corporate entities on our elected officials. Unless this issue gets fixed, We The People, are the outsiders serving our masters of the ruling class. Currently, there is no representative democracy as I learned in middle school. When asked what kind of government we have, Benjamin Franklin replied, "...A Republic, if you can keep it." He charged the citizenry of our nation with the responsibility to maintain our government, our freedom. We The People have failed. We no longer have a Republic. We have an oligarchy run by the wealthiest few, and until we are willing to oust our elected representatives in congress by voting for candidates willing to change this unequal access by the richest of the rich, we will continue to have and oligarchy, and the chasm between them and us will grow wider and wider. So in this election year, I charge you all to question your representatives and ask them to put forth legislation that limits this unfair access through campaign finance practices, and other venues. If they are not willing to, then vote them out, or accept being servants to the ruling class. Drops mike!

Response by SFC Jerry Humphries made May 23 at 2016 1:48 PM

2016-05-23T13:48:02-04:00

Our nation has been incrementally going left over the past 100 years. I think too many of our politicions see the Constitution as a living Document. They might as well be saying its toilet paper. I think The Democrats and Republicans play a game of political good cop bad cop with us. Have you notice how the established in both party's fight to keep the status quo. In stead of actually solving an issue or following through on a campaign promise.
The Federal Goverment was never meant to have as much power as it has now. Instead of passing laws to solve issues the Goverment passes laws to Start new departments or administrations leaving Bureacrats and other unelected persons to make Regulations We all all have to follow. Much of that power should instead be with your state and local Goverment and ourselves.

Response by SFC Marcus Belt made May 23 at 2016 1:56 PM

2016-05-23T13:56:05-04:00

No. Next question.

Response by SSG Pete Fleming made May 23 at 2016 2:00 PM

2016-05-23T14:00:08-04:00

Yes we could if... First off stop blaming the political parties and the government. Take responsibility for the mess that is modern day America. You, I, and every legal citizen is responsible for the what is wrong with this country.

Then if...if we drop all the false labels. Liberal/Conservative, Right/Left, Black/White, Gay/Straight, and all the other labels (and sub-categories). They're only meant to divide us, not unite us. So start with the one and only label that matters. American. Then look at things like legal citizen/illegal alien, law-abiding/criminal... some labels belong, most do not. Once we get past trying to divide the nation by assigning false labels then we can move forward. There will always be issues and problems but a divided people will never agree (even if they do) because of the invisible line that separates us into groups.

People have gotten so far from reality that if something might be offensive, then it must be. Regardless of the facts. Racism is one of the biggest falsehoods. Now I know there are people who hate another group because a variety of reasons, race being one. But not everyone who disagrees is a racist. Temporarily halting Muslim immigration is not racist. Muslims are not a race, Islam is a religious, social, and political system practiced by a large population of the planet, but they are not a race.

This is just one a many examples of the term being used to create a divide. The protection and desire to maintains ones own society is not racist. But there are numerous other examples of how our nation is divided. The creation of special rights intended to protect one group over another in fact gives false power to one group and fuels the animosity of the other(s). An example is the KKK verses BLM both promote one race over another, both promote hate, both use intimidation and violence as tactics to push their agenda but the KKK is considered a hate group while BLM is not. When was the last time the KKK rioted, interrupted political rallies, or other such activities? The list goes on and on...

Americans are tired. Tried of double standards. Tired of political correctness. Tired of seeing their nation ripped apart by inept politicians. But the one thing they seem to forget... we created this. The legal citizens who sat back and did nothing to prevent this.

So the first step is to take responsibility, eliminate special interests groups, drop the false labels and make our government work for us again. We spend so much in nation building and policing the world, when are we going to come back home and rebuild our nation and police our country?

Response by MSG Pat Colby made May 23 at 2016 2:55 PM

2016-05-23T14:55:05-04:00

Oh HELL no. "Middle Ground" is the curse that's been going on in DC for way too long. When Core Values are discarded, we ALL lose.

A little bit at a time we are losing our Constitutional Rights as a direct result of Bi-Partisanship bullshit.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made May 23 at 2016 6:39 PM

2016-05-23T18:39:39-04:00

Unfortunately Corporations and Big Money are Funding Media that pits us against each other for Table Scraps.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made May 24 at 2016 8:36 AM

2016-05-24T08:36:07-04:00

Its a long shot, but...

1. People would have to accept that not all majorities are aligned against all minorities...and that all minorities are not focused on overturning all majorities.

2. People would have to accept that some issues are best handled at the lowest possible level of government...if at all.

3. People would have to be more pragmatic.

4. Last, but certainly not least...we would need a government that was comprised less of those adept at mastering the "game", and more of those who sincerely wish to serve.