Ideology

Well, another election year has come and gone. This was a close one again and the shift of power seemed to change.

While free elections and peaceful transition of power is a great thing, there is a trend that is becoming more and more disturbing. With the tightness of many political races and with many incumbents losing their seats or just barely hanging on, the conclusion is that our country is definitely divided. And it seems like that division is pretty much right down the middle. This is not good for America.

You see, it is not a matter of being a Democrat or Republican and it is not a matter of the issues that each party stands for; it is matter of ideology. And one ideology is so far from the other ideology at this point that it makes it difficult to find common ground. I am not talking about compromise; I am talking about common ground. To have healthy conversation or debate, each group has to agree or at least understand that which is common with the other side. It is from that commonality that change can occur.

So what is this ideology that separates America today? I don’t believe it is the difference of more government or less government involvement. I don’t think it is about “pro” this or “anti” that. The ideology that separates us is life.

Life. How we view it and our response to it is, I believe, the underlying foundation to both sides. Is it random or is it planned? Is it a right or a privilege? What are we accountable for and for what are we responsible?

Here are some points from the sides. Life is a right. We are accountable for our own actions and there are natural consequences to those actions. We have a responsibility to care for those less fortunate and sometimes people need a helpful hand out. There is a dignity that should accompany life.

We are so polarized on this and philosophically what this issue means that one wonders if unity can ever be achieved. We don’t need to think the same but to think together.