This Country

 ~ I totally wrote this like, 4 months ago for the 4th of July, when I was aggravated and fed up with ignorant people, so if it sounds like I'm angry and fed up with ignorant people, it's probably because I am. ~

Some might call this country a house divided. There are the republicans, and the democrats. There are the liberals, and the conservatives. There are the people who are right, and the people who aren't right. The smart and the dumb. The informed and the "sheeple." The true, red-blooded, blue-collared Americans, and whatever happens to be the opposite of that.

But what really divides the house? Difference in religious beliefs? Difference in definitions of freedom? Difference of skin color?

Between you and me, I'm not entirely sure what the main factor is that fractures our great country, and between you and me, I don't care. Why? Our society cares more about being right than it cares about anything else.

"CNN and the liberal media are polluting our great nation into believing anything Obummer says is undeniable fact." "Fox News has it's hands so far in the GOP's pockets, it's disgusting. They'd do anything to discredit anything we say just because they're getting rich to do it!" "Gays shouldn't get married." "The NRA is an evil, child-killing club." "Gun control laws are infringing upon our rights as Americans." "Christians are what's wrong with this world." "Atheists are what's wrong with this country." "Hobby Lobby has to give women birth control." "Hobby Lobby doesn't have to give anyone anything." "Abortion is murder." "Conservatives are bigots." "The death sentence is barbaric." "Life in prison is a waste of money." "Terrible things have been done in the name of organized religion." "Horrific things have been done in the name of science." "Libertarians are basically anarchists." "Both parties are basically communists."

Do these sound like some of the things you've heard when talking about politics with friends, family, or acquaintances? Are some of these the things you say when talking about politics? Have you ever thought that basically every single argument in the world has two sides, both of which have legitimate ground to stand on, and "right" and "wrong" are almost always subjective things? Do you care more about being right and making other people feel inferior than having a legitimate discussion? Is your opinion better than everyone else's opinion? Do you frequently refer to opposing views as "liberal/conservative/republican/democrat rhetoric" simply to dismiss it without having to present a reasonable response?

You're so, so wrong. I'm wrong. We're all wrong. Incorrect. Fallible and fallacious. Straight up full of crap. This country is a house divided; a fractured wing on an antiquated eagle in a polluted sky over an ocean of self-righteousness, selfishness, and disregard for progress. The olive branch is shriveled and dead and the flag is the echo of a screaming jet dropping bombs of democracy on third-world countries in the name of peace and freedom. This country will burn down, break in half, and sink like the Titanic to the sound of one person yelling "this great country will never sink, and if it does it's there fault" from the Atlantic ocean, and another person yelling the same thing from the Pacific.

Happy Dependence Day.

Graduation

Like many people who are around a similar age as I am, a large portion of my friends and acquaintances are either graduating or are attending graduations for their respective schools which they have already left. I've heard speeches and seen tears and laughed alongside people I've known for a majority of my life up until this point. The speeches were inspiring, the tears were bitter-sweet, and the laughter was sincere. For these individuals whose lives are at a cross-road where the future is vast and uncertain, ceremonies and camaraderies such as these are full of symbolism, and the memories made wont be easily forgotten for at least the rest of the summer. Probably.

Do you really think you're always right?

Depending on how you want to look at the world, you're wrong a lot. If you're a nihilist than you're not really wrong your subconscious is just smarter than you. If you're in politics you're only wrong when everyone else knows your wrong. If you're a human being, you're wrong a lot more than you know and more than you'd probably like to admit.