A Tale of Two Thanksgivings

What do we expect from our society when we continually create dividing lines? I remember a long time ago you could disagree with someone and still be friends. We had discussions. We learned things. But most importantly, we did not make our opinions our identities.

Now we have a line in the sand on everything. You are left or right, there is no longer an in-between. In fact, if you aren't on either side, they talk down to you as an ordinary person. Ordinary? There's nothing wrong with that. Yet they still call us that if you read the definitions of all their "isms"

Ordinary people.

Pay attention to what this division is becoming. First the corporate press decided to take a side. They hate each other with so much passion. We digested the news but adopted their passion and ferver.

Then we took it to social media, that cage fighting arena we call the town square. I watched as the social media companies started a rivalry, the line in the sand started to be deeper and deeper as everyone fought. We have rival pillow companies, sworn enemies. Pick a side. Buy the right pillow or else you will be kicked from the town square.

But wait, there's a rival town square now! Both sides can shout from their own pedestals to their own people with no opponents. Just keep talking in circles.

See what happens when we gave everyone a soapbox to speak from?

I sat in the desert alone and watched this divide slowly turn into something normal. People began to accept it. It split up companies, households, families, friendships.

America slowly divided into two countries, even though they live next door to each other. Don't forget about that couple that shoveled snow onto their neighbors driveway moments before he murdered them both. Don't forget about the increasingly violent riots. We forgot how to peacefully talk to each other.