A bitter divorce

The thing about being married, or being part of a couple that I imagine is most difficult is that whenever you have two individual schools of thought, perspectives or ideologies, there exists the potential for argument. The problem is in the math, when you have two people with differing opinions one or both must yield in order to move forward.

In a loving relationship, this is possible. Love allows pride, ego and a need for power to take a step back. Compromise is attainable because each person trusts and respects the other. Each person understands that yielding is not a sign of weakness. Each person understands that yielding does not equate to being weak and because they are both working toward the same goal, even when they stand opposed, they work together until they find a way through.

Last night, I watched the final State of the Union Address to be made by President Bush and, as I often am when watching our government in inaction, I was struck by how foolish it is for us to continue along in a two party system. The quarrelling couple that is Democrat and Republican will never work. There is no trust between them, there is no respect. To yield is to be weak, regardless of the issue. There isn’t even a common goal, unless gaining dominion or keeping dominion can be considered such. There is no love, that’s for certain, not for the country or her people.

The selfishness of each party is evidenced continually by anyone who pays attention to politics. It’s party first, people later. It’s so simple for a person of liberal mind to blame all the evils of the world on conservative thinking; likewise, it’s easy for a conservative to find fault in any liberal philosophy. Sadly, we the people are content to pick sides and point fingers instead of understanding that each viewpoint serves a purpose in finding a balance that works.

It must seem odd to outsiders, how a government based on a system of checks and balances, the triangle of power, can tolerate a two party system as well. Black or white, this or that, yes or no, these are ideas in such contrast with the spirit of America that it’s truly staggering, yet we make no strides toward making change. It can easily be argued that our country has run successfully under a two party system for a long time now and will again, but this is a lie of laziness. It is easier to blame than to build.

Once upon a time, there was a union between the political parties in our country, while their views and opinions have always been in stark contrast, their priority had always been the people. There was love; love of country and it’s citizens, in solutions and compromise and love of progress. It would be naïve to say that the parties have always been friendly, have always worked together, have always played fairly. Knowing our history is to know that this is not true. But there was a time when our elected were people we believed in, people who, even in their greatest opposition, were respectful of the other’s love for this country and her people.

The marriage of Democrats and Republicans is over. They squabble over their children now, each certain they know what’s best for us, rarely bothering to ask us our thoughts though. Each is so bitter, so cold, that they are ruled not by common sense, by compassion or by love, but by hostility and the eternal drive to outdo the other, the need to see the other miserable. Each has lost sight of what’s important in their efforts to spite the other.

And we will suffer the consequences until we stand together as their equal, a child no longer, steeled with a mission to force balance and compromise on an old couple who no longer feel any love and are no longer willing to try.