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| | |  Phlog: Eightbitswide
| | |   
| | |  Date: 6-1-24
| | |  Subject: United States: a divided house
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  v    Created on the Agon, a z80 based single board computer.
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From my earliest years of public education, I remember the first few
minutes of the morning, standing at attention and repeating the
"Pledge of Allegiance" to the flag of the United States, and to the
Republic for which is stands, one Nation, under God, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.  

I was taught that America was the great "Melting Pot" for citizens who
originated for various countries all over the world.  They brought
their various cultures, languages, and ideas to merge together as
citizens of the United States.  I was taught to be respectful of 
others beliefs, even If I didn't accept those beliefs as my own.

America has had it's failing over the years.  We allowed the 
ownership of humans as slaves.  We treated those people as property to
be used like horses to do our bidding.  We looked on ourselves as
somehow better, or more deserving humans because of the color of our 
skin.  Changes were made, and America moved forward in providing 
equality for all men and women regardless of their race or creed.

I raised three children.  I taught them the idea of equality 
regardless of race.  I honestly hoped that if enough of my 
generation raised their children with the same ideas, that we would see
the end of  racism and hate before my generation passed. It felt like
this was  the one thing that GenX could accomplish that would echo well
into the future...  but...

My daily newsfeed/youtube/social media is filled with a group
of people who seem to be desperate to go back to the ideas of 
racism and hatred for anything that isn't like them.  They have
forgotten that unless you are a descendant of Native Americans,
we are all children of immigrants.
  
I guess it's always been human nature to find ways to elevate our 
opinion of ourselves.  If we can somehow say that our fellow man is
lower or worth less than we are, we are somehow better. I read about 
a man who decided that an entire race of certain people were 
"polluting the bloodlines" of what he perceived to be a perfect race.
He rose in power and caused millions of these people to be executed.
You might have read about this man in your world history classes. 

Yet, here we are again.  We have another man who for some reason
has millions of Americans seeing him as "sent by God" whose  actions  
couldn't be further from God sent.  His power is stirring up that 
hatred for those are not like himself, telling his followers  that 
they are better those "other" people. Those "other" people  could be
people of other races, skin colors, and even ideas.  He has  gone as
far quoting that other man I mentioned earlier. His power comes from 
racism and lies.

He sells Bibles to raise money when in fact he cannot quote a single
verse. He claims to be a Christian and live by Christian values while
at the same time violating several of the 10 commandments listed in 
the Bibles he sells.  The idea of loving your neighbor as yourself, 
or the stranger who "sojourns with you in your land." is a concept
that he and his followers seem to have forgotten.

A founder of America once quoted a Bible verse when referring to the 
American Civil War.  That verse comes from the book of Matthew.  It 
says that a house divided against itself cannot stand.  It's estimated
that about half of America seems to be sided with this man.  It's sad
to see some many are being easily taken in by his what is essentially 
a con game based on hatred. What happened to One Nation Indivisible?   
So many have lost their way.

What can we do about this?  Some would say that it's time for folks
to rise up and make sure they VOTE at election time for people of sound
mind and reason. Yes, if you are an American, voting is important and is
currently still a right that should be exercised by every US citizen.

How about we tackle this problem on another level as well?
How about we reject the ideas of hatred and racism again.
Let's point out that those old ideas are no longer acceptable. 
Some would suggest that we build a wall to keep people who are not born 
in this country out.  Here's an idea.  How about we continue to refine
the process to immigration and continue to make it easily obtainable for
those who wish to become American  citizens.  There are no easy answers
to these problems, but the old rhetoric of people coming and stealing 
our jobs just doesn't hold water.  If they are working here, generating
income and living here, they are buying products here.   It's good for
our economy.  How about we embrace the differences in culture and language
making America a "melting pot" once again.  

We can behave better.  We must.   -Eightbitswide