Civil War Redux

We seem to be fighting the Civil War all over again. And not just on the racial front, although that seems to be a touchy issue at present. When a country begins to break apart, the term "balkanization" is often used. I believe this is happening in America as we divide into religious, political and economic blocs that seem to have little appetite for listening to other points of view.

In days gone by, we were known as the "melting pot of the world." This implied a certain amount of blending together or, at least, tolerance of divergent views. Now, in the age of diversity, we are more like a tossed salad where the ingredients retain their identity. I suppose diversity has some benefits, but it comes with a price. It has come to be a shadow of what it could be by focusing on diversity of looks while insisting on sameness of outlook. On many of our college campuses today, you are completely free to look as you please but you are not allowed to think or express yourself freely. This is a false diversity and is harmful to our nation.

The focus on diversity has also led to what is known as "identity politics" where an individual identifies so closely with a given ethnic or political group that, in the mind of the individual, the group can do no wrong. Identity politics is one of the fastest growing religions in America. The Black Lives Matter movement would be a good example. Occupy Wall Street would be another, or neo-Nazi and skin-head groups.

Some environmental and animal rights groups display the hypocritical tendencies. For instance, PETA makes a big deal out of the killing of animals for food and the wearing of furs or using animals to test new products. At the same time they have been found guilty of disposing of hundreds of puppies that were no longer useful to them. They will protest the killing of a gorilla in a zoo when a little boy's life was in danger but will defend the killing of unborn humans in the name of women's reproductive rights. For some of these extremists, any means employed by them is fine if it achieves their stated goals.

Around the country, many of our largest cities have become known as "sanctuary cities." Illegal immigrants are encouraged to go there for their protection. When an illegal breaks the law in a sanctuary city, he or she is held by the city or made to pay for the crime. However, if a sanctuary city knows a federal law has been broken by this individual, it refuses to turn the violator over to federal authorities.

Many such cities endorse a belief in "open borders" where people are allowed to move across national borders freely without a passport or other identification. This is a violation of federal law. So, one can see that in many ways these sanctuary cities have already seceded from the Union. They no longer believe federal law applies to them. One would think this issue was settled more than a hundred years ago, but evidently it wasn't.

Another rather-fast growing religion has to do with global warming or climate change. We have "progressed" to the point where "climate deniers" are no longer allowed to have an opinion that can be respected. Any voice that would question the prevailing point of view is met with an intensely condescending attitude. "Climate deniers" sounds like someone who might also believe the earth is flat. Listen to President Obama when he uses the term and see if he isn't the epitome of condescension.

Environmentalists like to label those who question global warming being man-made as anti-science. I would like to reveal some of their hypocrisy.

When it comes to abortion, supporters of abortion, without fail, will say that a woman can do what she wants with her own body. They need to check the DNA of the fetus because it is unique and not identical to that of the mother and all her body parts. This unique DNA makes this fetus a unique individual. This unborn child is not just the mother's bodily tissue as is often argued in support of abortion rights. This unborn child is a unique, never-before seen human being -- and that, according to established science.

Secondly, the science is also established when it comes to GMO foods. They do not pose a threat to our health but environmentalists stake out an emotional opposition to them.

Lastly, environmentalists often oppose projects such as water reservoirs in California or the building of nuclear power plants, but not for truly scientific reasons. For them it really comes down to an emotional response to something they do not agree with. Science would support the capturing of water in the mountains in northern California to reduce flooding, and piping it down to areas in the south of the state suffering drought as a beneficial thing. Environmentalists have successfully halted many of these projects, and now California is paying the price.

The Civil War is being fought in Congress as well, where bipartisanship is a bad word. How did we get to the point where the two leading political parties in America can no longer work together? Or how did we get to the point where the executive branch of government no longer respects the legislative branch or conversely? Or to the point where faceless, nameless bureaucrats write most of our laws, interpret those laws and also enforce said laws? Whatever happened to the idea of checks and balances in government?

Now we have groups openly calling for the murder of police officers. We have white-supremacy and skin-head groups. We have anarchists who go around to any area of the country that is experiencing trouble and do everything they can to exploit it. We have a president who relies too much on executive authority, a congress where not much good gets done, a border with Mexico that no longer works, sanctuary cities that have basically seceded from the Union, and political correctness which has run amok.

I do not believe these are merely cultural or political problems. These are serious issues that reveal a disintegration of the national psyche. America is experiencing a meltdown which I believe is actually spiritual in nature. Could it be we have fed too long on the dry husks of mammon?

Sam Byrnes is a Gentry-area resident and weekly contributor to the Eagle Observer. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.