Division

-- I read a miniature biography of Abraham Lincoln yesterday by James McPherson, and I have to admit, I don't think I'll ever be a Civil War buff, or any kind of war buff.  As soon as I start reading about battles and strategies I zone out.  I did think it was interesting, however, that the author didn't equate the mood in the country at the time of the Civil War over the idea of slavery with the way the country feels now in regards to more contemporary issues.  The scary thing was that they didn't sound that different now than how we sound then.  It was basically 'We don't think like those people.  Why should we be governed by ideologies different from ours?'  I wanted to run with that idea, and try to work the Civil War in where I could.  Let's take contemporary language and apply it to the problem back then and hope to find some common ground with the people back then we consider to be the 'bad guys.'  Guess what?  Look in the past, and all you'll find are bad guys, even Mr. Lincoln wasn't always so honest.  Oh, and by the way, McPherson's won a Pulitzer, so that's how much I know. --

"Division"

What if I just don't like those people

What if I don't want their vote

To count

For me?

What if I don't want my name

To be connected to someone's name

Who lives their lives

Around ideals

That I find repugnant

Or antiquated

Or just plain stupid?

What if I'm forced to be ashamed

Of where I come from

Because within where I come from

There is ignorance

And people who attack me

And what I believe

Every chance they get?

I know a house divided cannot stand

But I also know

That when half the people in the house

Want to kill the other half

It's time for somebody to move out

And that's all we want to do

We want to move

We want to disconnect

Burn the bridge

And any roads that lead to it

That man

And I won't call him my President

No, he's not my President

You have to vote for a President

Only forty percent of this country

Voted for him

That man

Wants to give me problems

Without solutions

Because he feels

That the system of living

My family has lived on for years

Is wrong

Well

Isn't that easy for him?

Isn't that a walk in the park

For him?

And where am I supposed to go?

Where is my family supposed to go?

They tell me I'm wrong for owning property

Are they wrong for living in townhouses

Are they wrong for owning tables and chairs

Are they wrong for trying to put half this country

Out on the streets?

What if I want division?

What if we all stop talking

About what we dislike

And don't agree with

And finally just say

You go your way

We'll go ours

What about that?

There is no connecting us anymore

There is no mending these tears

Bridging these gaps

Fixing these breaks

While we're busy trying to do all that

Someone's going to come along

And do harm to this country

They're going to destroy us

While we're trying to avoid

Destroying each other

I say we end this

I say we part ways

And who knows

Maybe we'll actually

Start to get along

Maybe we can be two countries

Two happy prosperous countries

Rather than one miserable lot

Stretched at all sides

By mutual distaste

So why can't you let us go

Why can't you let us move on

Why can't we be those two successful nations?

If you don't embrace the division

There will still be a divide

But by that time

It might be too wide

For any of us to cross