Not So Civil War

As we commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam, it would only be appropriate to see how far we have come from the bloodiest day in American history.  

On September 17, 1862, Union and Confederate forces met in Maryland and by the end of the day, more than 23,000 casualties had been reported.  Of course the Union would eventually go on to win, but the scars that this ugly war had left would become the very blueprint for the war we are fighting today.  

Depending on who you ask, the Civil War was fought for one of two reasons—states rights and slavery.  There was an economic issue and a social issue.  Both the Confederates and the Union were right, but at the same time, they were both so wrong.  Because they were stubborn and unwilling to compromise, both sides relinquished what little dignity they had left and resorted to primitive forms of persuasion.  The lead slinging went on for a few years, claiming more than a million lives, until a "compromise" was reached.

The irony of the current situation is that it is no different than it was 150 years ago.  The division between the republicans and the democrats is wider and more defined than they have ever been.  The fight is still over economic issues and social issues.  A quick peek into those issues and you will quickly realize that both sides are right, and at the same time, both sides are so wrong.  The only difference is the projectiles that are being shot at one another.

The social issues that are at the center of the rift are same sex marriage and abortion.  Democrats say both should be legalized while republicans say to ban them both.  How about a compromise?  Legalize them and tax the both so heavily it would discourage anyone from taking part in them.  Or better yet, let the respective states decide what they want to do.  Wasn't that one of the issues that sparked the Civil War to begin with?  Yet, these social issues continue to find its way to the forefront as major issues in this election cycle.

Economic issues will always revolve around policies that encourage either capitalism or socialism.  While both sides are quick to point out the inefficiencies of their economic counterparts, they fail to recognize the flaws of their respective views.  Republicans point out that the outrageous spending is spiraling this country into financial oblivion.  Democrats point out that the current economic turmoil took place under the republicans watch.  The result is two political parties giving each other the silent treatment and a war being fought by airing political propaganda slandering and demeaning one another.  Is this really that much different than the war fought 150 years ago?

And as if the political division weren't similar enough, the geographical rift eerily parallels one another.  Take a look at the 2008 electoral map compared to the map of the United and Confederate States of America 150 years ago.  The division between the red and the blue east of the Mississippi paints the obvious picture of how little we have changed.  

I guess the best way to remember the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Antietam is by reenacting its events.