I suppose on this historic day it’s appropriate to make some comment on what has happened in our country.  However, I find it difficult to do so as my father taught me from a young age that the two things you never talk about in any situation (including — perhaps especially — among friends) are politics and religion.  Today that would be especially difficult since to talk about one you would almost certainly have to talk about the other.

I see two things from what has happened politically.  First, our system works.  The voice of the people was heard in a controlled, organized, open, honest, transparent way that gave everyone an equal chance to express their beliefs.  In some cases you got what you want and in some cases you didn’t.  But at the end of the day, the system works.  The only caveat that ought to be proffered is beware of what you ask for, because you just might get it.  ’Nough said.  

The second thing I noticed through this process is that the people in our great country seem to be polarizing.  It used to be when we disagreed on things, it was over the way to get from here to there, but fundamentally we all agreed on the basic, underlying principles.  Over the last few years — or maybe the last few decades — it seems the disagreements are becoming more fundamental.  When President Elect Obama says we need to work together I don’t think there is a single person in America who wouldn’t agree.  But when we talk about what it means to work together, the conversation breaks down.  For most people, if you can convince me to do what you want, then we’re working together.  If I try and convince you, then it’s partisan politics.  That’s a challenge.

I think it will be increasingly difficult in the years to come to find common ground as we polarize fundamentally.  For example, the gay alliance says the only acceptable outcome is for gays to be granted equality in everything, up to and including marriage.  The religious right says the only acceptable outcome is for marriage to be defined between a man and a woman.  They may be willing to bend on everything else, but not on “marriage.”  You can live together.  You can have civil unions.  You can have the tax benefits of marriage.  You can have all the benefits, but you can’t call it marriage.  Those are very basic fundamental, philosophical disagreements.  I don’t think “working together” is going to change the opinion of either party.  There is very little common ground on such issues, which makes a positive outcome less likely. 

If you want you can go back in history and look at what happened.  The last time we had a real, deep fundamental, philosophical disagreement was over slavery.  No amount of “working together” made a difference.  It was fundamental.  You either thought it was right or you thought it was wrong.  There really wasn’t any common ground to work with.  It wasn’t a procedural issue.  it was fundamental.  There were those who said, “If you don’t want to do it, don’t do it.  Let’s agree to disagree and you can do what you want and I can do what I want.”  But it wasn’t that simple.  Imagine where we’d be today if we’d followed that line of thinking!  The religious right feels the same way about gay marriage as the left feels about “live and let live.”  

A civil war broke out over slavery, which was very dis-unifying.  Afterward there was an agreement, but not fundamental unity.  Fortunately, there were other events that unified us as a country.  For example we had world war one, then the great depression, then world war two, then Korea.  Those things brought about a common focus and gave us something in common to work towards.  As we did that  we grew together.  Sure, we still had disagreements, but we were so focused on working together, the disagreements seemed small.  Since those events there hasn’t been a common focus we all believe in to unify us.  Viet Nam was divisive.  So were Iraq and Afghanistan.  We’ve all gone our own way and in doing so have become divided fundamentally.

Who knows, maybe the economy will be the unfiying thing in this generation.  I believe we’re headed for hard times.  I don’t think this is going to be a couple of quarters of downturn and then right back to prosperity.  We’re headed into changes, the likes of which we’ve never seen (more on that another day.)  Because of that I don’t think we have any idea what’s coming or how long it will last.  Suffice it to say that this is a good time to be prepared for whatever might come.  And who knows, the good that comes of hard times might be a return to unity.  I hope so.  The strength in our country has always been in our unity.  The old saying, “A house divided against itself cannot stand” certainly applies to some degree here in the USA right now.

Well, I’ve crossed over the line and talked about politics and religion (to more of a degree than I would have liked.)  But at the end of the day our system works.  The people have spoken.  Now we go forward, working together in every way possible short of violating our own fundamental beliefs and values.  This is a time for healing.  If your candidates won, I congratulate you.  If your candidates lost, I offer my condolences.  But let’s put aside our feelings and work for the good of our country.

Now that said, let’s get back to work.