I tend to read about three books at a time. Right now, I’m working on a book about the Battle of Bunker Hill, another about the first serious British expedition into the African continent, and of course, I’m still plugging along with the autobiography of Andrew Jackson, “American Lion.” An interesting factoid about the Jacksonian era is that it was a time when critical thought was exploding across the country.
Oberlin College, the first college to admit blacks, whites, men, and women, was founded in 1833, marking a period of growth in liberal arts colleges. New research was being done in botany, zoology, chemistry, and mineralogy. As author Jon Meacham noted:
Taking advantage of the nation’s liberty of conscience, skeptics and doubters spoke out against the pious temper of the time. For eight days in Cincinnati in April 1829, two men—the evangelical Alexander Campbell and the atheist Robert Owen—faced off in a public debate pitting Christianity against atheism. Frances Trollope, a writer and mother of the novelist Anthony Trollope, was there. “All this I think could only have happened in America,” she said.
Does it still happen in America? I’d venture to say yes, at least on individual levels. In some cases, but by and large, we seem to excel in finding ways of lunging for one another’s jugulars.
For example, a CBS/NBC affiliate out of Texas, ValleyCentral.com, had the story of farmers in that state who were struggling with their operations because ICE raids were forcing their immigrant workers into hiding. Donna, Texas, farmer Nick Billman commented, “Instead of this chase, let’s give incentives for these people that are immigrating to our country, like the Brazeros program. Incentives for these immigrants to come through, pay their taxes, and everybody is safe, vetted, and it would work much better that way.”
At one point, there would have been quite a few people who may have agreed with him. But as reports of crimes by illegals began to mount, along with the burden placed on various local infrastructures by illegal immigrants in general, more than half of America decided that enough was enough. And on top of that, the people who have clogged streets with anti-ICE protests can’t even be convinced that drug traffickers, murderers, sex offenders, and assorted gang members should be off the streets and out of the country.
Much of that is attributable to various and sundry folk who recognize that illegal immigration is a tool by which they can amass and maintain power, and that is just one of the tools in their box. They recognize that if they do nothing more than agitate long enough, they may eventually win the day, no matter the opinion of the majority.
Democracy is when a fringe minority riots for so long that they override the public's elected representatives pic.twitter.com/hiqOP9n1x4
— Spencer A. Klavan (@SpencerKlavan) June 17, 2025
Of course, the divide does not simply apply to Left versus Right. One must be the right kind of Democrat at any given moment in order to curry favor. We need only re-listen to the Ballad of David Hogg or watch as John Fetterman battles yet another assault. While Fetterman has been known to toe the party line on abortion and men in women’s sports, he has also been outspoken in his support of Israel and even came out in favor of Saturday’s parade. And then there was his condemnation of anti-ICE insanity. None of those positions has earned him any points among the progressive elite.
Even conservative circles are not immune to division, and sometimes that division is over issues such as the furor over electing Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House (remember that oldie?). Drawing in broader strokes, there has always been a debate among some conservatives over whether Trump is "Orange Man Bad" or "Orange Man Good" since he took his escalator ride. There are plenty of conservatives ready to espouse a more nuanced few, and they can be found in many comment sections, but it is usually the true believers on any side that draw the attention.
Then there is the Israel-Iran conflict, which is the latest Mason-Dixon line among Republicans. Even Marjorie Taylor Greene has taken to X to raise funds over the issue.
🚨 The RINOs, Neocons, and Never Trumpers are funding a primary challenge against me.
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) June 17, 2025
Why? Because I refuse to take their dirty money and I won’t send your kids to die in another foreign war.
This is the biggest political fight of my life. I need your help. 👇 pic.twitter.com/hElI8Sxot8
One of the great things about America is that we can still debate. While intense mudslinging has been ongoing in the country since the days of the Adams-Jefferson feud, there is something about the immediacy and urgency of the electronic age that makes the debate less civil and more reactionary. Less like a debate and more like a war. Of course, the problem with internecine war is that it gives the enemy more time to prepare for the next fight.
