We Are the World

I have obviously failed to galvanize and prod, if not shame enough Americans to be ever vigilant not to let a Chicago communist-raised, communist-educated, communist-nurtured subhuman mongrel like the ACORN community organizer gangster Barack Hussein Obama to weasel his way into the top office of authority in the United States of America.”  (Ted Nugent)

These harsh words have been rolling around in my mind this week.  On my initial reading of them, I felt shocked, even assaulted.  These words seem to symbolize the ways Americans are divided from one another.  As I read a little more about Nugent, I decided he may be too extreme in his speech to symbolize the divisions between us, but still, few Republicans have strongly repudiated his words.  But the real question in my mind isn’t just these particular words.  Rather it is, how do people deal with a difference in opinion especially an important opinion that may determine how a country is governed?  Probably most of us have, at some time, made rude comments about not only politicians but also about acquaintances, people in our circle of friends, maybe even family members.  Is that good for us?

There is a certain satisfaction in a clever putdown.  But it adds to a wall of separation between us and others.  Theoretically, we know that isn’t good.  It is discouraged by most religions and ethical systems.  But on a practical level, it can feel very good. One antidote is to see ourselves as one, one of the group called Americans (or whatever your country) or even the group called people of the world.  Can we imagine ourselves as one?  Can we imagine ourselves as Ted Nugent?  Or Barack Obama?  Sometimes I can.