Central to our republic is the rule of law. We had a defect ( We are human after all.) in our beginnings, the issue of slavery. It is not treated with the empiricism that is needed for an understanding that the question of the negro would always be a problem as their treatment contradicted our credos. The same legal and social kinds of struggles showed themselves in the assimilation of millions of foreigners. There was a book, entitled, I think, "How the Irish became White." I am sorry that I don't remember the author. However it points out the learning of how to be in the body politic and social hierarchy in America. It also shows, by default, that people forget and push for more, with a new sense of entitlement, not opportunity. You can see this is the union movement. Listen to union people today. They are rarely to be depended upon for anything as a group. The notion of what some called Dixie crats, and also Reagan Democrats is an example that race and supposed class will trump old political alliances. Although you don't want a religious answer, one of the great examples of what I am speaking about is the current status of power that the Republican party has. It came with the switch of Dixie crats to that party because of voting rights for blacks. Jimmie Carter was the only President, who as a Christian Believer attended Sunday School, but he was abandoned for political reasons, by the so called Christian Right. During all of this time new found wealth in stock market speculation was going on, so you had the "greed is good" group. What has happened with all of these examples is a concentration of power that has been unprecedented in our history. Absolute power, corrupts absolutely. It has happened all over the world in different cultures. we have blindly figured that with our creed it could not happen here. The balance is gone. The current group did not bring it to past, they simply took it to extremes that has destroyed our body politic, stolen elections, defied the rule of law. The back drop of all of this is September 11, 2001. Also in the background was always the specter of oil. ( For some entertainment, imitating life, or vice versa, get a copy of 3 Days of Condor. This movie asks a very relevant question about us and our government. It is frighteningly current, even moreso today.)
What generall happened in the history of our republic there came some reformer, some bright, or at least different light, to challenge the impending status quo. I see little to suggest we have that light available to us today. Our stature world wide is kaput. Our relations in America are as fractured as they ever have been, and those whose ethics should lead them to protest have sold their souls to the Devil, seeking only to keep gays from getting married; preventing women from having abortions, and being sure there is no affirmative action. Other than that, the so called Christian right and other supposedly ethically based groups are mute and silent about the treatment of our republic and law. People have actually said that they would not mind giving up some rights to fight terrorists. don't worry, they are already gone!