Are we reaching the tipping point?

For a long time (20 years or half of my life) I have been worried about the impending end of democracy. Yes, I know that is a bold statement but it is backed with a deep rooted concern over the direction I, and many others, have seen this great country going. It is human nature to reach for what is within your grasp, but the outright stealing of the resources of this democracy is something that is appalling to me. This is not a political statement - it is a statement of concern.

When groups are pitted against each other (socio-economic, religious, race based or political) in order to gain a majority favor - everyone loses. There is a line in the movie 'Miracle' that I truly wish more people in this country would consider. In an effort to get the U.S. Hockey team more focused on working as a team Herb Brooks, played by Kurt Russell, says something to the point of " it's about time you starting thinking more about the name on the front of your jersey, than the name on the back" . That line has stuck with me since I first heard it as a montra for our country. John F. Kennedy uttered something along the same lines that seems to have been lost as something from yesteryear, but could not hold more true today "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country".

Whether those asking are the homeless, homebound or homeowner. Factory worker or factory owner. Victim of malicious crime or perpetrator of that crime. Ask what you can do to make the world and this country a better place.

Along that line, there is another evil within our midst that has been subtle in its growth. That growth has found its way into our way of thinking could not be more wrong. Reading a book that my children are working with in school (elementary and middle school ) - I found it square in the middle of the text. There was a time when the United States of America was a melting pot. That melting pot welcomed every view - everyone was welcome and everyone was encouraged to bring their particular flavor to the pot. That pot would meld the disparate beliefs, customs, and heritage into something that was unique in the world - America. Now, we are told to welcome the same but not to encourage the blending. This creates, as my kids book illustrates, a tossed salad model. Each contributing to the overall flavor of the bi-product but without attempting to blend together. This is not America. This divides American's rather than uniting them.

Where do we go? Are we at a the tipping point? Is the end of the democratic republic close at hand? I just hope I am wrong in my conclusion of where we are in Tytler's Circle.