Reason itself had become suspect; mutual tolerance was seen as treachery.
“In the vortex of this debate, once the battle lines were sharply
drawn, moderate ground everywhere became hostage to the
passions of the two sides. Reason itself had become suspect;
mutual tolerance was seen as treachery. Vitriol overcame accommodation. And [the issue] would not just fade away.”
(Jay Winik, April 1865, 2001)
Sounds familiar - 152 years later...not much has changed. Societies & technologies evolve...but human nature never changes.
We should be better.
Don't fan the flames.
Don't fuel the fire.
Put it out.
Individual and collective human choice are the
most powerful change agents known to mankind.
Vote.
Dialogue.
Run for office.
If you can't do any of the above, leave and find a better system...and stay there--don't keep tearing this one apart.
Voice your opinion to law makers...if they don't self-correct...don't vote for them next round.
Read / research (don't just passively believe everything you hear/see/read from friendly sources).
Take time to research both sides of divisive issues.
Seek truth--not just bits and bytes of information that validate your narrative or your feelings.
Recognize that we are all being condition by media...every second of every day.
We need media--but we must exercise emotional intelligence and seek multiple perspectives...because "they" all need money to operate (and the greedy ones care only about the money)...and since ratings drive revenues--the full truth is the first sacrifice that is made at the alter of $$.
Send hate-ism back into the shadows...where it belongs.
Worth the read here...where I discovered the quote (thanks Tom Hanks!):
<full quote citation>
"And where abolitionists preached slavery as a violation against higher law, Southerners angrily countered with their own version of the deity, that it was sanctioned by the Constitution. In the vortex of this debate, once battle lines were sharply drawn, moderate ground everywhere became hostage to the passions of the two sides. Reason itself had become suspect; mutual tolerance was seen as treachery. Vitriol overcame accommodation. And the slavery issue would not just fade away." (Jay Winik, April 1865, 2001)
Education powers thought.
Thoughts generate action.
Actions fuel the planet...for better or for worse.
What if it Just Started Raining?!