{"id":14144,"date":"2024-07-12T07:00:16","date_gmt":"2024-07-12T11:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=14144"},"modified":"2024-07-10T11:55:33","modified_gmt":"2024-07-10T15:55:33","slug":"divided-we-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=14144","title":{"rendered":"Divided We Fall"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"14147\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?attachment_id=14147\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/ivided.png?fit=200%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"200,200\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ivided\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/ivided.png?fit=200%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-image-14147 size-full alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/ivided.png?resize=200%2C200&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/ivided.png?w=200&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/ivided.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/>As I carefully consider the state of our nation, I am deeply troubled by the multitude of divisions that have emerged within our society. It is quite surprising to realize that this is the most polarized our country has been in my entire lifetime. However, what concerns me even more is the pervasive and venomous language being used by both sides. Civil discourse has disappeared and has been replaced by vitriolic and threatening rhetoric.<\/p>\n<p>Regrettably, the upcoming presidential race has magnified this divide. Instead of choosing the most qualified candidate, we have become a nation that selects the &#8220;best of the worst.&#8221; We ignore our differences with one candidate and opt for another simply because we find them less unpalatable- this is an odd perspective.<\/p>\n<p>To compound the situation, many individuals today perceive their government as their caretakers. They expect the government to be responsible for their welfare, while they themselves do relatively little. It is important to recall John F. Kennedy&#8217;s message from his inaugural address: \u201cask not what your country can do for you \u2014 ask what you can do for your country.\u201d Self-reliance and community involvement must once again become the foundation of our society.<\/p>\n<p>We urgently need to unite as a country. While it is not necessary to concur on everything, we should have diverse and legitimate viewpoints. However, the decision of the majority should prevail, as ignoring the views of the majority can undermine democracy. Patriotism necessitates supporting our country, embracing the decisions of the lawmakers, courts, and executives, and contributing our best to society.<\/p>\n<p>As a responsible citizen, you possess an extraordinary ability to play a significant role in maintaining an effective democracy. You can start by making well-informed decisions based on credible sources of information. Merely trailing the popular trend or blindly believing everything you read on social media does not suffice in this age of disinformation. Thorough research, fact-checking, and examining all perspectives are all essential components to arrive at a sound and informed conclusion. To uphold democracy, it is imperative for us to exercise our duty as citizens, which is to participate in fair and transparent elections. The value of hasty decisions made in isolation is negligible compared to the importance of making a thoughtful and calculated decision. Casting your vote is not only your constitutional right, but it is also a crucial responsibility that determines and shapes the future of our country. Let us fulfill our duty as responsible citizens by actively participating in the electoral process and make our voices heard.<\/p>\n<p>As the well-known adage goes, \u201ca house divided against itself cannot stand,\u201d and for the first time in my living memory, I fear that this is indeed a possibility. It is now time for every American citizen to come together, make a contribution, and have a positive impact on society. If you have an opinion on this matter, please feel free to express it in the comments section below. Thank you for taking the time to read this.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Brave hearts, stars align,<\/strong><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Freedom&#8217;s song in sync with time, Flag waves,<\/strong><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>proud, divine.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As I carefully consider the state of our nation, I am deeply troubled by the multitude of divisions that have emerged within our society. It is quite surprising to realize that this is the most [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14147,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_daextrevo_audio_file_creation_date":"","_daextrevo_text_to_speech":"","_daextrevo_document_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[13,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-opinion"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/ivided.png?fit=200%2C200&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":252,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=252","url_meta":{"origin":14144,"position":0},"title":"On Responsible Voting","author":"Tom Lind","date":"November 10, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The election is over. the polls have closed, speeches have been made and concessions granted. No more political ads, no more political signs. It is finally all over. Some folks are happy, some are not. We no longer have to listen to a barrage of political ads, political news, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/decision-making-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11533,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=11533","url_meta":{"origin":14144,"position":1},"title":"The Most Qualified Candidate Is . . .. The Sequel","author":"Tom Lind","date":"July 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I have thought long and hard as to whether I really want to publish this blog article. I know before reading the first paragraph that there will be those who take it the wrong way and those who will accuse me of bias, regardless of what my intent may be.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/310.jpg?fit=1000%2C750&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/310.jpg?fit=1000%2C750&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/310.jpg?fit=1000%2C750&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/310.jpg?fit=1000%2C750&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1261,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=1261","url_meta":{"origin":14144,"position":2},"title":"Jeffrey Blackwell, It Is Time To Go!","author":"Tom Lind","date":"January 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Recently, following the overpass collapse on I-75, a comment was posted on a social media site by a Cincinnati Police supervisor who witnessed the collapse. The comment was written to praise the response of the first responders, both police and fire, as well as other agencies such as the Coroner's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"images","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/images1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11418,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=11418","url_meta":{"origin":14144,"position":3},"title":"The Elephants In The Room","author":"Tom Lind","date":"May 29, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I have been fortunate enough to be on this planet for a good number of years. In those years I have seen a lot of changes in our society. Specifically I am speaking with regards to the disparate treatment of members of different races. Having grown up in an all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/10986958_10153885875821040_5250909110685643185_o.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/10986958_10153885875821040_5250909110685643185_o.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/10986958_10153885875821040_5250909110685643185_o.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/10986958_10153885875821040_5250909110685643185_o.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":745,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=745","url_meta":{"origin":14144,"position":4},"title":"Facebook and Politicians","author":"Tom Lind","date":"November 2, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"About a month ago I reported in this blog on the social media acumen of the currently seated City of Cincinnati Council members and the two mayoral candidates. The point was to demonstrate if those politicians were aware of the reach of social media, and were they inclined to use\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"WebPolitics","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/WebPolitics-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":794,"url":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?p=794","url_meta":{"origin":14144,"position":5},"title":"Cranley\u2019sDo Over","author":"Tom Lind","date":"December 14, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"When John Cranley was elected to Mayor he jumped into the mix with both feet. He was making Mayoral decision even before he took the oath of office, as we saw with the dismissal of then City Manager Milton Dohoney, and he announced his intent to appoint Willie Carden to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/?cat=13"},"img":{"alt_text":"John Cranley","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/townehouse.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/johncranley-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p38YRh-3G8","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14144"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14144\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14155,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14144\/revisions\/14155"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townehouse.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}