Divided America

Now that the election is over, I think that we should all take a deep breath and realize what we learned. America is divided. America is changing. And there are some that are behind the eight ball, and others that have learned to adapt.

The one thing that I love about America is that we have a voice. I have learned that I have to be tolerant to the opposition. Of course all of our views cannot and should not be the same. We were all raised differently, different economic backgrounds, different religions, and different educations.

These differences naturally create a divisive environment. But what I cannot stand is those that want to hate on the majority. The majority voted, the majority did their job. In some states they stood in line for hours, mailed in ballots, and even in the East Coast- they emailed them.

I will not call America a racist country.  Last night our country was reduced to a coloring book. There were only two colors to pick from (not really), but red or blue must have been the easiest to grab. I have lived in a mostly red state; I would have to admit that I did enjoy it. There are some good people in Arizona, and Texas. Homes are cheap, job opportunities are not really dependent on education and the average person can get by with little effort.

Well red states, that is not the case for our friends that grabbed the blue crayon yesterday. Homes are often unattainable, several generations have to live together, and there are no mobile homes, Wal-Mart, Dollar Stores, or NASCAR tracks within a 20 minute drive.

There is nothing wrong with using a red crayon. I do think that a majority of the country could actually use it economically. But when you enter the social aspect of life that is when the blue crayon starts to dominate. Of course some of us like to color outside the lines. It is kind of fun to be different. It is like the kid that sneaks a piece of play dough in his/her mouth and can’t stop eating. Tolerance becomes something that feels good, tastes good, something that should simply be done.

But why are we so divided? I think it is because we often forget what we have. I know there are a lot of people with the red crayon that just hate big brother. I hate big brother too, with his little drones flying over my head, his airport porn screens, and those darn pesky license, and extra tax fees that he hits me with, when I am cornered in the hallway waiting in line to get bullied like my other classmates.

But I know that those kids would drop the red crayon when there is a natural disaster and the FEMA ice cream truck shows up. I am sure they are not going to throw their crayons at him and tell him to leave. But rather sit in line patiently and wait for their snacks and try to rebuild their shacks, and continue shooting anything that is allowed by permit.  

I think the blue kids get it. They understand it to an extent. I do not want to give them too much extra credit, but I have to give them some. It is not the red kids economic policies that they disagree with, it is their social policies. And in this world our friends often mean more to us than anything else.

I was raised with a bunch of blue kids.  I have a bunch of friends that are gay. I am glad to see that they can get married in some states and enjoy the same freedoms as I have. I understand that all schools are not the same and that all communities are not gated and safe, and finally it is not an equal world that we live in.

Yes, we have to balance our budget, we have to stop blowing up the kids with no crayons, and we have to rebuild our own roads and bridges. But we have to understand that this country is changing. I do not know if it is because the blue and red kids are not allowed to play with each other, have not taken any vacations besides Disneyland, or if it is just hard to get info inside bubbles.

I will continue to color outside the lines. I am sure that Romney is a great guy. I mean did you see all the kids those two produced, I thought he was the black guy last night. But he lost. The blue guy is not going to take your guns, he is not going to stop killing your favorite people the sand- kids with drones, and he is not going to starve the poor people to death.

But that is what our country is all about- the majority. It is not about the kids that can yell the loudest, scream the most racist bigoted slurs, created the cutest graphics in Photoshop, or find another way to put Big Bird in a post. But a country that is changing and using votes to start a revolution, instead of a musket.