Our nation remains sharply divided

In the recent election, it is noteworthy that Gov. Mitt Romney swept the former Confederacy less Florida – thanks to retired New Yorkers and Latinos – the two most pro-Confederacy slaveholding states (Missouri and Kentucky), and a number of Great Basin western states with large populations of Mormons, who until recently had a “peculiar institution” of their own. My purpose in writing is not to inflame, but to simply point out that the issues that led to our single greatest tragedy, the American Civil War and the struggles of all the years since, remain with us actively on a sectional, geopolitical, and geocultural basis.

I was moved by the recent serious discussion about secession in a number of states, most notably Texas, and the release of the new movie on Lincoln opening in theaters. I personally can’t bear to live near my family of origin in Kansas because of these very reasons. I still fervently hope in my lifetime this problem will move forward via enlightenment, education, and one-on-one positive interactions. The election result, I believe, was another positive step.