The Cost of Unity in America »
Posted by: Spadecaller 6 months, 2 weeks ago161 Comments Report this Story
Soon after the World Trade Towers fell, a unique phenomenon of historical significance occurred; Americans became united. Have we forgotten?
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Spadecaller6 months, 2 weeks ago
With the presidential campaign and the partisan sniping that goes on here on Propeller and in our nation at large, I was reflecting about how divided our nation has become. And, then I thought back to 9-11. Does it bring back any memories worth renewing? It did for me.
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rdy2rck6 months, 2 weeks ago
It brought back memories of ideals. The Declaration of Independence, the Contstition,Gettyburg address, Susan B. Anthony, The underground railroad(Cincinnati has opened a museum where I live and it's fascinating,)Martin Luther King Jr. and on and on.
And I wanted to respond to Bkumm. I agree exactly but wanted to clarify a point of mine.I'm an idealist and subscribe to "Small things done with great love will change the world."
I babble but the extra point is this. We as individuals Can make a differance. It's seems overwhelming, but if we actively respond to hatred even in small ways, remain staunch in our beliefs and STAND up for what we believe in, maybe these small these things will unite and become a big thing.
But I don't think we'll ever stamp out racism,hatred completely. History has proven that. But I think we can grow in numbers to be the dominate force and keep our ideals alive for future generations.
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Klarissa6 months, 2 weeks ago
rdy, I think that the US is like a wagon wheel, We are on the outside, the congress and president are at the center.
We are essential for the center to stay in place and succeed.
Local school boards, Democrat and Republican central committees, architecture boards, police boards, grand juries, these are what make our country a success.
We all have a responsibility to contribute to our community either by doing it ourselves or by supporting those who do it for us.
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injest6 months, 2 weeks ago
If you want "unity" you have to become an Un-Hyphenated American.
The ONLY point of Hyphenated American's is to divide, segregate and classify.
It really is just that simple
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rdy2rck6 months, 2 weeks ago
There are too many hyphens today including multi-lingual.
I'm not a White- American, A Christian- American. a Heterosexual-American. I'm an American damnit.
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Candida6 months, 2 weeks ago
injest: "If you want "unity" you have to become an Un-Hyphenated American."
Do you classify Democrat-Americans, Republican-Americans, Liberal-Americans and Conservative Americans as hyphenated Americans? I've seen a lot more animosity on Propeller between these groups than, let's say, Black-Americans, White-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Native-Americans, etc.
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ETproductions6 months, 2 weeks ago
injest, What you say is true. But I have seen you inserting hyphens with your posts, and have to plead guilty myself.
United we will stand. Divided we WILL fall. There are too many today trying to divide us for their own profit or political gain or even just to stoke an overblown ego. I think what we need to learn from the unity we felt after 9/11 is that it is a precious thing to be nurtured. We shouldn't so easily fall into attacking and dismantling it.
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Spadecaller6 months, 2 weeks ago
rdy2rck
Don't be fooled by the rhetoric of those who hate. Unity does not denounce diversity; it embraces it.
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Bkumm6 months, 2 weeks ago
I've said it before and I'll say it again. When Americans start looking at ourselves as Americans first, rather than as Black, White, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Irish, Italian, German, Armenian, Hispanic, Republicans, Democrats, Liberals or Conservatives then we can truly begin the long process of healing the breaches within our great experiment. Until then, everything we do is for naught.
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walden36 months, 2 weeks ago
Not just Americans, but the whole world was united with us in our grief. It was a brief moment that could have been seized to once again claim our place as the "shining city on a hill." Instead the tragedy was used for division, empire and personal gain.
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lvrofwolves6 months, 2 weeks ago
Most of the world yes!
Through the trauma and feelings of it being unreal,the horrible sadness and fear you really could feel people united, I thought it was a wonderfull feeling.
Kind of reminds me (on a much smaller scale) of when we had blizzards, everyone seemed much kinder to one another, helpfull and caring..I hated the blizzards but loved that feeling when people became united. Sorta like Christmas too, people being nice and kind towards one another...then, well it may be one of the reasons why some get depressed after, people go back to acting like they did before.
I loathe the feelings of division, and especially some of the politicians and religious leaders who use that tactic of dividing to benefit themselves.
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Klarissa6 months, 2 weeks ago
Walden Actually, it was not the whole world. There some who were cheering that we got what we deserved.
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Candida6 months, 2 weeks ago
Klarissa: "Actually, it was not the whole world. There some who were cheering that we got what we deserved."
Very few were cheering. Even Iran condemned the attacks. Pretty well the whole world was united in support of the US until the drums of war started beating. Then when the focus shifted to Iraq and the "axis of evil," things started to change, and the support evaporated.
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jordan116 months, 2 weeks ago
we affirmed our commitment to freedom -- that we would not forfeit our way of life to the purveyors of fear and terrorism.>>>>
Yes, I remember. And then we were told we'd have to set 'freedom' aside in the name of fighting terrorism, and fear took over common sense. The failure of this administration to properly deal with the threat before it happened was lost in the rhetoric of fear. The fact that our freedoms had nothing to do with 9/11 coming off, and the failures of our government to pay attention was swept under the rug. The intelligence agencies of the world, and our own agencies, had done their jobs without usurping our freedoms. But for some reason, that can't happen again without doing so. Knee jerk emotionalism will be our downfall.
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Spadecaller6 months, 2 weeks ago
Thanks jordan11
I believe you are so right; for some, the politics of fear was and still is just an irrestible opportunity to gain more power.
In our most vulnerable moment, many Americans fell victims of this exploitation. The world has watched this with great consternation. You and I are certainly among them.
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donald516 months, 2 weeks ago
Jordan,
How much did the Bush adminstration control the perception that the Intelligence communicty failed? When Cheney visted the CIA more than any other VP, then let Rummy creat his own intel agency in the Pentagon to reroute already CIA debunked info back to Cheney as true - the real failure was in Tenet to let it happen! The real depravity is the whole Bush administration and the RNC to conduct such a deception on America for profit and political gain!
RNC, the Un-American Party of America! We can thank George Bush for revealing the true vile nature of the Republican Party!
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jordan116 months, 2 weeks ago
How much did the Bush adminstration control the perception that the Intelligence communicty failed? >>>>>
Doesn't say much for the intelligence of the Americans that got sucked in, does it? The evidence was there that they had been warned, over & over & over again by intelligence from all over the world. And, they ignored it. Flat out ignored it. Did nothing. Took vacations and bought shoes. HOW did Americans miss what was right under their noses? Oh, I know what bush and company have done. But who let them do it?
And yes. The Republican Party of today is vile. No doubt about it.
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GHOSTWHOWALKS6 months, 2 weeks ago
We became united in a way we haven't seen in decades and we weren't alone. Most of the world stood with us. Help on that fateful day poured in from everywhere. Where did it go? That feeling of coming together? Just when did we lose that and why? The answers are blowing in the wind and i'm not smart enough to know the answers.
Bkumm is correct. We have allowed ourselves to become disenfranchised and led astray by fear, religion, color, and we wander in cliques lost within one small tribe, all the while forgetting the whole; when we should be striving to hold onto that which brought us together. After all we are Americans not individuals; but a family.
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donald516 months, 2 weeks ago
...as long as the Repug Party thinks that some Americans are more equal than others... Dumya has taught us of this reality in blatant terms!
Yes we have been misled, and will continue to be so as long as repugs like Reagan vetoed the Truth in Telecommunications Act.. and today's Repugs block the Fairness Act. The likes of Faux Fox Facts would never have survived these Acts!
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Spadecaller6 months, 2 weeks ago
I believe diversity is a wonderful aspect about this county. But, it is the hyperpartisan politics that plagues us with division that is paralyzing and counterproductive.
People do not need to relinquish or subjugate their beliefs or their affinities to other causes and groups, but as citizens I believe it is our civic duty to protect our constitution from foreign or domestic enemies above all other political ties.
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Francisca6 months, 2 weeks ago
Spadecaller: This so special day (the 11th September)a unique phenomenon of historical significance occured:Europeans became Americans....We were not Italian, English, German, Spanish, French, ect...we were at least for that brief moment in time: citizen of the World against purveyors of fear and terrorism! Unity makes Force, Division makes weakness...All of us have the same combat: wellbeing for everyone...It's not easy because we are numerous and the "cake" is very very small!
Thanks for the video!
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