There is a great deal of blame going around for the discord that seems to be everywhere today. The media is blamed for driving a wedge between people and politicians are blamed for divisiveness. Blame has also be attributed to political extremist groups, social media algorithms, and many other causes. However, all these elements forming our culture are a cumulative outcome of what we say we want as a people, what we watch as a people, what we pay for as a people…basically who we are as a people.
If there’s anyone to blame for the divisiveness that exists in our society today, we can’t point at other factors. We need to accept that it is “we the people” who are responsible.
- We the people add to divisiveness when we forward inaccurate information to others and present it as fact instead of checking its source to see if it’s valid.
- We the people add to divisiveness when we consider a person who disagrees with us as an enemy, rather than a fellow American who has a different perspective.
- We the people are divisive when we go to extremes and believe that our opinion is the ONLY right way, without even considering the thoughts of others.
- We the people are divisive when we believe we have the right to pursue our own personal liberty, regardless of the impact it has on other people’s freedom.
- We the people are divisive when we promote an agenda and opinion that we know advances our aspirations but harms others along the way.
It’s not the media, or the politicians that need to change, it’s “we the people!”
