Seriously, when you assume a superior tone and condescending attitude after not just losing but having the taste slapped out of you, what do you expect?

If one, just one, of.you liberals could accept your whipping and actually want to mend fences, perhaps some here would listen. But when you lose.....big.time.....then cop the attitude.you present,.....actually you are being treated fairly well.

Last time I.looked, losers don't make the rules. You want to make nice, act like it....or duck.

As preface to this post on trying to heal our nation's wounds, since I have been here I have seen similar posts. Perhaps two or three. Naively, I expected not just some good and respectful debate but also an easing of the divisiveness. The writer made such perfect common sense in his or her comments. Who could deny the basic decency in the request for greater unity? Then I read in growing depression and horror the responses from the Right. Yes, almost exclusively the Right. They were to the last against it. "No dang bridges in my neighborhood or time." "Liberals are the minions of Satan." "Dumbocrats are commies looking to overthrow liberty for the One World Order." And so forth. Obviously people totally oblivious to the harm they are doing to keeping America great. America IS great: we do not have to change it.

Any laws or policies we have were passed by the democratic process, in which we are all still free to take part. We, as a nation, have made big mistakes before, serious and costly mistakes that often were the result of going against our Ideals, such as slavery, Jim Crow Laws, our treatment of Native Americans, the internment of Japanese-Americans in concentration camps, and support of dictatorships that abused human rights in order for us to maintain an ally in that area. (All that is true: get a real history book.) But by our democratic process, both sides putting their special interests aside and working together for necessary change, we corrected those wrongs and our country grew stronger because of it.

Freedom is dangerous in and of itself, and the threats to freedom are many and diverse. In the past, as noted above, we succumbed to financial security with slavery, hate in Jim Crow Laws, greed and prejudice concerning Native Americans, fear in incarcerating fellow citizens without due process, and power in alliances with dictators. Yet, again, we overcame those errors because we are a Republic that cherishes the principles of liberty. But today we are facing the biggest challenge ever and our greatest enemy: ourselves. We need to break this ideological impasse and that means all of us must work hard and selflessly, overcoming our fears and prejudice, our need for safety and power, if such wonderful ideals are to survive another generation. To be truly free is not legislated by Congress and maintained by the courts but an individual act of will with a heart for those ideals.

What does it take? This is what I see.

Intellectual integrity demands an active resistance to confirmation bias and a determination to earnestly seek the truth. I read and listen to Fox News, CNS, the Federalist, and other highly conservative, even alt-right, reporting everyday. I do not go a day without. I even started a thread recently written by the Federalist. I was taught to play the Devil's advocate with my most sacred beliefs, but especially those that are emotionally charged. Feel anger or hate or fear: the need to step back, pause, and probe deeper has tripled. This by no way means that I or anyone else will come to the right conclusion or truth every time or maybe even half the time (though I like to thinks so). It only means that loyalty to an ideology or distrust of the opposition is not nearly enough to keep America free and safe. Far too many here seem content to hivethink and lockstep. This nation is crumbling because of it. Stalwart divisiveness, not a foreign enemy, will bring down this country. The petty and selfish efforts of patriotism by partisanship will be the eventual end of this “great experiment” of liberty. Say “E pluribus unum” now to a crowd and a riot would break out. But that is this Republic's true motto: we have to start living it!

Having said all that, I find it doubtful I will get more than five comments, and five is hope talking.

Look at NC and you will see WHY we have such discord. Republicans are castigating folks who don't want to accept a Trump Presidency, saying they are sucking on sour grapes - then - the NC Republican legislature, not wanting to accept a Democratic Governor, are doing everything in their power to deny and undermine the people's choice, by trying to remove as many powers and authority as possible from the position. Is this a classic case of hypocrisy or not?

The paradigm is now " we demand that you work with us and do what we want ", rather than " we are willing to work with you, to do the will of the people ". Both sides are guilty here - but it has to stop somewhere - and Republicans insist that it be democrats who stop. We have abandoned EVERY principle that defined the United States - and replaced them with partisan bull shit. As soon as a politician says " according to the Constitution..." I know they're about to tell a lie, because they do NOT give a flying fig about the Constitution or the law - they care about their agenda - and the Constitution is just a prop in the play they're writing.

I see one huge difference. People trying to steal the election from Trump are involved in innuendo, slander, riots, and downright treasonous actions by trying to overturn an election. Now I know how you think Mr. Progressive so won't do you any good to debate. You've already shown yourself to be a lefty while trying to come across as a reasoned moderate. If the Republicans are doing what you say in N.C. I would say it's distasteful, petty and partisan, but is it legal? Pretty sure trying to turn over an election and rioting isn't.

I see one huge difference. People trying to steal the election from Trump are involved in innuendo, slander, riots, and downright treasonous actions by trying to overturn an election. Now I know how you think Mr. Progressive so won't do you any good to debate. You've already shown yourself to be a lefty while trying to come across as a reasoned moderate. If the Republicans are doing what you say in N.C. I would say it's distasteful, petty and partisan, but is it legal? Pretty sure trying to turn over an election and rioting isn't.