'Preyed' or the 'preyed upon' -- which are we?

 

I find it interesting that past president Barack Obama focused on our current president's resistance to very apparent corruption of the vote as “one more step in delegitimizing, not just the incoming Biden administration, but democracy generally" and thought that to be "a dangerous path.” That while he had not a word about the very real and apparent corruption of this oddly ongoing election itself hurting our democracy -- destroying any remaining trust of the very people its government is supposed to be 'of, by and for.'

But then again, Barack Obama is from Chicago. And there such corruption -- and a general acceptance of it -- has long been seen as the norm.

I suppose that in a real sense these two presidents, one who followed the other, well represent the divide in our nation.

One, Obama, is smooth to the point of being glossy. The other is truly rough-hewn, sometimes even coarse.

One made his way in the greater world and became wealthy by building -- well rewarded for his own hard work. The other also got rich -- he, too, lives in a mansion -- but he did it via political gift giving and its peculiar form of 'reward for services rendered.'

America, too, is so divided. Some see that divide as simply being the difference between givers and takers.

I don't see it that simply. In large part because "giving" is a voluntary act. A good and positive thing. Where what I see is more akin to the 'preyers' and the preyed upon.

Some 'preyers' are people on the bottom -- those made dependent, be it by life's circumstances (often brought about by the dereliction of others) or by simple choice -- having taken the easy way out of life's challenges. Other are people on the top who use and abuse these beneath them. -This later a common trait found in lifetime politicians.

The preyed upon come in to several sorts as well. Those willing to simply take it as it comes, and those who refuse to do so.

Fortunately for humanity none of those states need be permanent. Occasionally a once 'taker' decided that the time for taking is over, and he or she becomes a giver. Some once upon a time willing to simply be someone else's prey simply somehow reaches a breaking point and comes to have had enough of it. (We call that "getting a backbone.")

And there you have the current American divide. Some take, some give.

Some put up with what "is." And others simply have come to think that enough is enough and have determined to be preyed upon no longer.

These later are Trump people. They comprise roughly half of the nation. The others -- be they the 'preying' type -- the takers -- or the accepting preyed upon -- are threatened by this. And there you have America as it exists today. A divided 50/50 nation battling it out for whose way holds sway.

It will not be long before we know who wins and who loses in this very real ongoing conflict. -