Americans reverence the idea of unity in every aspect of our lives. From the sports metaphors we all grew up with—such as—"there is no "I" in teamwork", to their devotion to the ideal of the family as a cohesive unit, to the foundations of the American economy—corporations—that function as a tight-knit team with a single goal and purpose, to our military that functions at every level as a unit, with every man knowing his life depends on the man next to him doing his job with precision and excellence, to the unity of a triune God, even our marriage symbols revere the idea that two people join as one in "the woven marriage candle".
So, begs, the question—When did disunity of government become the norm? When did the unity of government become the problem—and for whom was it a problem?
The words "united", "unity" and "union" derive from the same Latin word "unus" meaning "one"—and suggests separate entities that merge into each other—becoming as one and are more powerful than individuals.
The idea of America's—unity of purpose—was so strong in the minds of the founders—that the words—"e pluibus unnum"—out of many one—our new Nation's motto—were suggested on, July 4th 1776 the very day of America's birth.
And that truth was enshrined in the Constitution as "WE the people."
They knew—what we forget at our peril— "we" are stronger as a cord woven from many strands—woven out of many nationalities—out of many people—out of many ethnicities—out of many States—than a Nation of selfish individuals only interested in our individual wants fulfilling our individual needs.
Our best leaders from Washington through Lincoln, Franklin, and Kennedy, have always spoken to that truth.
A truth in which—"we the nation" and "we the people"—have lost confidence.
At no time in American history—with the exception of the Civil War—has the state of the American UNION been more frayed and contentious. Our "common destiny" unclear our sense of unity of purpose so bewildering and confused.
But—that confusion has been deliberately cultivated, nurtured, and widely disseminated with malicious intent.
The forces that bind us have been deliberately gnawed at by forces that profit more from our disunion that our unity. In the words of Scott Walker they use the age old strategy. They divide "us" to conquer the individual.
Those forces of evil intent have with consistent messaging exaggerating our differences and have sewn the seeds of manufactured discontent.
Their shrill voices pour out venomous hate filled rhetoric day after day—creating "wedge issues" that in the context of our common history—and the truth of "unity" are petty and mean—with the "intentional purpose of dividing us so that "we" can be enslaved to their economic system of extraction individual by individual.
They appeal to the same false sense of "rugged individualism" cloaked in the guise of "personal responsibility" dating back to Herbert Hoover—who's Republican ideas led this Nation into the Great Depression of the Thirties.
They have become a loud depressing monotonous drone of mean spirited pettiness and anti-American Unionist sentiment—meant to cast into doubt once again on that truth—that—"we" are "one" nation.
Those forces though few in number—are the proverbial constant drip of water that dissolves stone or a grain of sand that can wear away flesh over time.
They are small in number but set in determined lock step of purpose. They account for less than one percent of population and yet they have extracted and control 80 percent of the real wealth of this country. Their greed is never satiated.
Our strength has always been our single mindedness as Americans—that as a Nation—of individuals—bound by common purpose WE could do anything that need be done.
Washington appealed—to that truth of a singular "we"—to his men at Valley Forge and as a country and against all odds—"we" prevailed at Yorktown and became America.
Inspired by that truth—Lincoln lead the Nation through a Civil war that defined the idea of a perfected Perpetual Union and "we" became the "UNITED" States of America.
Understanding that truth FDR led these "UNITED" States through a depression saying the only thing "we" have to fear is fear itself and through a world War by invoking that sense of "we" to overcome those that had attacked "US". Knowing that "we" can only be overcome collectively by fear and our by abandonment of that time honored American truth "e pluribus unnum" out of MANY—ONE.
When we abandon our civic responsibilities to the greedy self serving lobbyists of corporate America we become their easy prey and relinquish our liberty. TOGETHER WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT of by and for the people.
Nothing struck me more intensly than that simple truth when Obama said, "health care?—you did that". It was the summation of the essence of the Nation's founding ideal—that an elected leader kept his word and believed in the America dream, we all cherish. In that moment my trust in the American dream of a self governed people was restored.
Today as we celebrate another inauguration, I hope we are reminded that the government of by and for the people—IS NOT THE PROBLEM—and may very well be the solution when it is administered by honorable men. God bless President Obama and this UNITED States of America
united; adjective
1 unified, integrated, amalgamated, joined, merged; federal, confederate.
2 common, shared, joint, combined, communal, cooperative, collective, collaborative, concerted; Brit. informal joined-up.
3 unanimous, in agreement, agreed, in unison, of the same opinion, like-minded, as one, in accord, in harmony, in unity.
unity; noun
1 union, unification, integration, amalgamation; coalition, federation, confederation. antonym division.
2 harmony, accord, cooperation, collaboration, agreement, consensus, solidarity; formal concord, concordance. antonym strife, discord.
3 oneness, singleness, wholeness, uniformity, homogeneity.
union; noun
1 unification, uniting, joining, merging, merger, fusion, fusing, amalgamation, coalition, combination, synthesis, blend, blending, mingling; marriage, wedding, alliance; coupling. antonym separation, parting.
2 association, labor union, trade union, league, guild, confederation, federation, brotherhood, organization.
