# How do we unite America?



## BigDaddy (Mar 4, 2002)

I have been keeping an eye on the message threads throughout this forum and some on the hot topics, and I am struck by how divided this nation has become. The war in Iraq may have spurred the political debate and caused people to choose sides (Republican or Democrat), but this devisiveness started festering years ago.

I recall the last presidential election, the closest election in U.S. history. It is evident that folks have chosen sides and aligned themselves with whichever candidate or party they think best serves their needs. As evident by the threads on this page, people are passionate about their respective political leanings, each side calling the other names and questioning their intelligence.

That begs the question: How do we unite this country again? Do we need a strong moderate candidate that caters to the 80% in the middle instead of the 10% on each extreme? Are folks so distrustful of the opposition that they won't budge? Has this nation ever been so polarized based on political leanings?

The sad part is that political media outlets continue to exasperate the problem. Rush and his crowd continue to use "liberal" as an insult to fuel the fire. Liberals continue to bash Bush and the war. Each side then claims that we have either a liberal or conservative media... therefore the opposition is simply ignorant.

Again, I ask the question: How do we unite America?

I am interested in only sincere responses, not more of the conservative-bashing or liberal-bashing jabs that tend to develop on these threads.


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## DeltaBoy (Mar 4, 2004)

Big Daddy,

Hope things are going well for ya! We can chat another time... I think a good way to uplift America would be to stop watching CNN. They show the same damn stuff over, over, and over again. I think it's a political scheme if you ask me. The best way to uplift things is to be informed about what's happening in/out of America. Talk to your community and state leaders about what is going on across America!


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

I think that getting the Federal government out of everything not specifically assigned to it in the Constitution would be a huge step. Let state and local governments handle welfare issues, school issues ect. The Federal government has become huge and the politicians that work there have no incentive to cut it back, the bigger it is the more power they wield.
This rift your noticing has developed hand in hand with the growth of the federal govenment. All of us liberal or Conservative speak like we are helpless when we talk about changing it.....the federal government is way to big, way to expensive, and at the heart of your question Big Daddy. In their reelection attempts, all the politicians continue to promise more and more "goodies" knowing full well the dirty little secret is someone has to pay for them. Its hurting our economy and creating a disincentive to work hard. We are creeping slowy toward socialism which has failed everywhere its been tried.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

I say this every election....when a person spends millions of dollars to get a job that only returns them a couple hundred thousand legitimate dollars there is something real skunky about that.

Get rid of the uke: professional politicians and you will see a great difference.


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## gandergrinder (Mar 10, 2002)

From my perspective, I am in my mid 20's, I have to agree that we need less government and less government programs. There are so many people my age that abuse a government system so they don't have to work or can work and spend the money they make however they want. These are not people with legitimate problems these are people who can work and often do work but they also work the system.

We need to get away from ends justify the means politicians. I am tired of political mudslinging and republicans and democrats ripping on each other. As soon as I see politicians saying the "rebublican president" or the "democratic senator" is this or this or this I automatically think the person is an idiot. Why does everything have to be party lines. Are there any independent thinkers out there anymore in politics?

Political talk radio. What a joke. Rush is a turd, I would say I am a conservative, but this guy just goes way to far. If your a republican and you say your happy to have Rush represent your views than your a turd too. People like Ed Shultz go for ratings so what does that tell you.

The problem is not the media or the politicians the problem is the people don't have enought common sense to filter through the garbage and come to intelligent conclusions. People need to leave the emotion out of decisions, the media and politicians play to emotion to win viewers and get votes, but the important decisions need to be made by people who can check there emotion at the door.

Look at what Bush says in speeches "God is with us" "God help us" What a bunch of emotional garbage. Makes people feel good but it sure doesn't help the problems. Most in America want a feel good answer but in times like this we need the cold hard truth no matter how that makes us feel.

I'll get off my :soapbox:


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

gg wrote



> The problem is not the media or the politicians the problem is the people don't have enought common sense to filter through the garbage and come to intelligent conclusions.


The politicians and media are people and are at fault for leading people around by the noses. You are corrct in saying people need to filter thru the crap but how can they when given info that is designed to steer their thoughts in the preferred direction of the media and politicians.

Most people relize how crooked politics are and don't want anything to do with it. About 60% in ND anyway. There's just to many people who only care about their own lifetime.


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## gandergrinder (Mar 10, 2002)

If they lead us around then we need to start voting them out. There are two ways to vote. At the polls and with your dollars.

I know that is a difficult task but that is ultimately what has to happen.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

I'm with you all the way gg....it is dangerous to work to hard and make headway against the problem people, as a matter of fact it is ILLEGAL. I was involved in promoting nu-clear energy and we had roughly 12,000 people around the country writing letters and such, well I quit when I recieved a letter from Bill Clinton, when he was in office, that I may be considered a threat to national security. Thats scary....check the laws about our rights when considered a threat to national security, we have none. 8)


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