DIVIDED OR UNITED ~ WHICH ONE IS OUR FUTURE?

One of my favorite stories is about an old mystic who would go out behind his hermitage every day to sit by the stream and meditate.  On one occasion, he noticed a scorpion struggling to climb a large rock.  Slowly and gently, he reached down to help the scorpion.  However, the scorpion recoiled and stung the old mystic.  He rubbed his hand and tried to help the scorpion once more.  Once again, he was stung.   One more time the old man reached down to assist the scorpion and, you guessed it, he was stung violently.   A young man was watching the mystic with great interest and some concern and after the third strike, the youth ran toward the old man and said, "Why don't you pick up that rock and kill that thing!" The mystic responded, "Because it is in this creature's nature to inflict harm, does not mean that I have to change my nature to be like it."

Today, our country is more divided than any other time in history.  Why?  We have changed our nature. We have latched on to self-centered/self-serving ideas to which we have been programmed by radicals who are self-proclaimed experts on the "truth."  They pick and choose the portions of the Constitution with which they agree or disagree and play on the emotions of the public.  There are two key subjects these radicals use to isolate and divide our citizens; religion and money.

The hold some religious factions have on their followers, through guilt and eternal damnation, is frightening on many levels. Being raised in the Roman Catholic tradition, I speak from experience. Since its inception Christianity, Islam and Judaism have bred some of the most violent groups in their effort to control the message of salvation.  As a consequence, we have created Islamaphobes, Jewphobes, Infidelphobes, homophobes, and all the other phobias.  Through their centuries of experience with influence and control over followers, they have unchecked power in the political arena.  Their direct influence on elected officials changes the nature of our government and polarizes the country based on a religious stance.  The left and right wings have used religion to permeate the constitution for political gain. A move that the founding fathers tried desperately to prevent as is evident in Article 1 of the Constitution.  As a result, the Article has become null and void.  Religion, however, is not the only culprit in spreading division in our country.

Money has influenced elections and legislation long before super-PACs came into existence.   As early as 1800, wealthy individuals and corporations have infiltrated the election process intending to "own" elected officials.  Today we have such groups as the Koch Brothers, Bank of America, 3M, and Citizens United that pour millions of dollars into campaign finance to exert their power for personal gain.  These groups answer to no one and have created frustration and dissension with the public.  Their propaganda machines turn elections from the issues to the personalities of candidates.  This power has seen a shift from a government answerable to the people to the best government money can buy.  So what is our future?

The principle term of our name is The "United" States of America.  We must,

1. Look beyond special interests and begin to question their message.  
2. Look beyond the indoctrinating and self-serving agendas of religion and corporations. 
3. Ask ourselves if we are leading or being lead.
4. Ask if this is best for me and my personal agenda or best for the nation as a whole.

Until we stop and consider these questions we will remain divided and play into the hands of those who control the message and the country.  

Let us rediscover our identity and our nature so we can stand United!