I’m not an American. But from where I sit, America is losing itself, and it hurts me to see it.
The current presidential campaign, which has not even officially begun, is driving Americans away from one another, tearing apart the social fabric, and might cause rifts among families. Today I unfriended a Facebook friend because he decided that he would not have any Trump supporters on his friends list. I am neither an American nor a Trump supporter, but this sign of intolerance pushed me past my breaking point. I have witnessed quite a few political debates on Facebook between Americans, I have both Democrats and Republicans on my friends list, and I pray that I will not lose any more friends over this issue.
The level of animosity has risen to unprecedented levels over the past year. So has the unwillingness to accept someone else’s view even without agreeing with it. The needle has passed intolerance and now seems to be pegged at hatred.
Hatred makes us blind. It keeps us from recognizing that someone must win the coming election, and that the winner, whoever it is, will be the president of all Americans.
My American friends, there is life after the 2016 election. If you give in to hatred, you lose the ability to see that beyond the current conflicts, you still have many things in common. Also, once the elections are over, you will still need to work, live, shop, and serve with those who supported the opposing candidate. If you don’t stop this hatred now, everyone will suffer. And yes, that means you, too.
Think about it like this. The whole country is at sea in a big wooden boat. Every time one American hates another, he bores a hole in the boat’s hull. It may be a small hole, not enough to cause significant damage at first. But once there are enough of them, the water will seep in and the boat will start to sink. No amount of bailing will save it from the open, hostile sea of the international arena. The moment America’s enemies smell blood in the water, they will circle the boat like sharks, and everyone on board will be their prey.
Stop the hatred now, before it’s too late. Remember that most voters are decent people who want the best for their country, and that the American system has checks and balances. Remember, too, that there’s another election coming up in 2020. Don’t bore holes in your own boat out of spite, for it will not stop at riding low in the water. It will plummet to the bottom, and take you down with it.
