George Graham

United We Stand? Sadly, No.

 

This is no longer the United States of America. Any claim to unity among the 50 US states is laughable.

Election results and polls repeatedly show that some states belong in modern America and other states belong somewhere else.

The Trump Administration’s all-out war on California shows how hopelessly divided we are.

It’s time to face reality.

Americans who preach white superiority, revere guns, reject  responsibility for the welfare of others and seek guidance from such Old Testament books as Leviticus should live as far away as possible from the rest of us.

And they should have their own government – with Trump in charge.

Let Mexicans and other Hispanics Afro-Americans, Asians – and anyone with nonconforming pigmentation – find a home among the white Americans who reject racial stereotyping and believe in the brotherhood of mankind.

Also welcome in that America would be those who happen to be born with sexual orientation that might be regarded as “abnormal.”

In that America, women would have equal status with men and take home the same paychecks for the same jobs. They would be responsible for their own bodies, protected from sexual harassment and exploitation, and treated like people, not sex objects. They could even get elected as president.

Military-grade weapons would be kept out of the hands of mass murderers. And all firearms owners would be required to take a course in gun safety.

Marijuana and other relatively innocuous recreational drugs would be legal and regulated. The environment would be treated as a precious gift from God, while allowing for responsible access to natural resources. Food and water would be shielded from pollutants and poison.

Corporations would be taxed fairly and regulated in the society’s best interests while ensuring their right to make a profit.

The strong would help the weak, the young would care for the old, and no child would go hungry. Education would be highly regarded, science and the arts would be respected, religion would be protected and health care would be free.

Love, tolerance and forgiveness would be taught in the schools. Cooperation would replace competition as the society’s underlying philosophy. Public acclaim would go to those who contribute most to society instead of those who loot and plunder.

The animals that share our planet would be treated humanely. And “peace on earth” would be the governing foreign-relations policy.

As for the Americans who want their society to be lily-white, who want to be armed to the teeth, who want to be free of all ethical and humane restraints, they could have their own states. How about Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, the Dakotas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming?

They could call their country something like the Red States of America (or more accurately the White States of America).

Those 16 states should be able to house the millions of separatist migrants from “blue” states – and from others that are not beyond hope but are now predominantly “red.” Red-state residents who want a more enlightened environment could migrate to a “blue” state.

And then, perhaps, we would all live happily ever after.

More on America divided

About the author

gwgraeme

I am a Jamaican-born writer who has lived and worked in Canada and the United States. I live in Lakeland, Florida with my wife, Sandra, our three cats and two dogs. I like to play golf and enjoy our garden, even though it's a lot of work. Since retiring from newspaper reporting I've written a few books. I also write a monthly column for Jamaicans.com