United We Stand?

I promise I'll post something witty and entertaining eventually, but lately I've been in more of a 'philosophical' sort of mood.

One of my friends posted my last entry on her blog, and it seemed to set of this divisive debate between her friends. And that seems to be pretty indicative of the current political climate in the country as a whole. The country is divided pretty much 50/50 (51/47 if you wanna get technical), and that division is gradually getting deeper and wider. It's rather depressing, and aside from that, I find it exhausting. It's hard work to continuously argue with people.

What I'm about to say is going to sound creepy, insensitive, and maybe even tasteless, but hear me out. I miss 9/11. Now before you start an angry mob to have me lynched, let me explain. I don't miss the attacks themselves, I don't wish that 3,000 Americans had to die, and I don't wish that we were at war in Afghanistan and Iraq right now. I guess you could more accurately say that I miss 9/12 and the weeks following it.

For a short time, we weren't Democrats or Republicans, liberals or conservatives, northerners or southerners...we were Americans. You could walk past someone on the side walk, or sit next to someone on the bus, give them a little nod and you would both get the feeling like 'We're both hurting, but we're in this together...' Now that, I do miss.

I miss getting a lump in my throat seeing congress sing 'God Bless America' on the steps of the Capitol Building.

I miss the Candle-light vigils on the Myers Quad and making connections with people I'd just met.

I miss the barrage of American flags on people's cars, front porches and windows.

I miss getting all weepy listening to Lee Greenwood during halftime in Sanford Stadium.

I miss the roar of the crowd when we played 'Stars and Stripes Forever', and Tim 'Gunner' Smith conducting us in his Marine Corps uniform.

I miss the unique sense of unity and closeness I felt with every American, and them with me. And it's all the more depressing to think that it took the deaths of 3,000 of our fellow countrymen to bring all of it about.

I'm not going to point any fingers at who might be responsible for the division; I'll only say that I pine for the time when we weren't arguing about social security, gay marriage, and the right to die...we were just glad to be around each other. I dunno. Maybe I'm too nostalgic.