Our nation imperiled

I would wager that most citizens of these United States do not know a great deal more about the Civil War than what they were taught in high school.

Except for taking notice of monuments here and there and perhaps a visit to a Civil War battlefield, most probably do not pause often to think of this event in our history. A war that tore our nation apart for four years and killed hundreds of thousands of people on our own soil is simply a history lesson.

However, the idea of secession is once again being tossed about after this most recent presidential election. Although the idea of states seceding from the United States is rather difficult to fathom in this modern era, it is important to take a note from history. The political discontent that drove secession in 1861 did not happen overnight. It brewed for decades. As early as 1831 during the presidency of Andrew Jackson, the idea of secession was forming.

The secession petitions that have been recently circulated seem rather moot. However, these petitions are symbolic of the polarization of political thought in our nation. We have become divided among ourselves and some are ardently divided.

It would be wise for all of us, citizens and government leaders alike, to recognize that polarization weakens the stability of our nation and can lead to unintended and undesirable consequences.

Our country may never again engage in a civil war like the one of old, but even worse things can befall us.

ASHLEY POPE Alexander