Hatred 
by Sam Richardson
    Issues aren't what divides Democrats and Republicans. Hate is what divides us. There is no question that Donald J. Trump is the most hated President in our history, at least by more than half the voters, like around 51 per cent, the majority who voted against him. But that other 49 per cent, the people who voted for him, haven't changed their view of him, nor will they. Impeachment didn't change their view, his childish tweets and his mishandling of just about every problem he's dealt with didn't change it. Their main motivation is not ideology, it comes down to hatred. 
     They hate Nancy Pelosi, and Chuck Shumer, and Adam Shipp, and Joe Biden, and, boy, will they develop a hated for Kamala Harris, especially since she's black. Which brings up racism. The Republicans never accepted Barrack Obama because he was black. They continue to hammer congresswomen Ihan Omar and Rashida Tlaib because they're Muslim, and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez because she's Hispanic, and Ayanna Pressly because she's black. Race, gender, religion. Add to that their fear of the "L" word, liberal, which they spell "s-o-c-i-a-l-i-s-m." Most Trump supporters couldn't tell you the difference between the Democratic platform and Republican platform. A lot of Democratic voters probably couldn't either, because they're focused on their hatred of Republicans.
    So we remain a nation divided, not by philosophy or what we have in common, but by our hatreds and prejudices. Maybe this pandemic will finally take us deeper into the abyss, bring us to our knees, and force us to think about what's really important. One thing's for damn sure—the world will never be the same. We just hope that what it becomes is better than what we have now or had before and that we quit hating.