And out come the knives...

This isn't helpful.

Neither is this.

How polarized are we becoming? And is it for real, or is it just what I'm seeing and reading on the 'Net and on TV? Maybe. Maybe it's the fact that I'm attending a law school that's been allegedly ranked as one of the three most liberal in the country.

Time after time this year, seeing the attacks, hearing of death, and beheadings, and captives, I've been reminded of the battle of Helm's Deep in the LotR:TTT, when Theoden despairs, saying "So much death... what can men do against such reckless hate?" But more and more, it seems like the hatred is directed inward. Right against left, liberal against conservative. We seem to have lost a sense of amicable disagreement. To win, one side must lose. The zero sum game rears its head again.

What scares me is the potential aftermath of either side winning. Will Kerry be able to effectively lead this country if he's elected, or will right-wing bloggers continue to snipe at him? Will the Swift-Boat Veterans call it a day? Or will they agree to support the President? Honestly I don't know. Especially with the Swift Boat veterans, there's an awful lot of bitterness there.

Likewise, we've had four years of people screaming "Bush Lied, People Died." Is it too much to hope that come Nov. 3rd, one way or another, they'll agree to support the President? To be honest, I'd be very surprised if they did stop, comforting themselves with the thought that after four more years, Bush would be gone, one way or another. Of course, I personally have never understood that group. To me, it seems to be more of a fashion statement than an actual position. "I'm young, and I'm mad, and I'm going to go protest!"

It's like a domestic dispute. Husband and wife, tearing and clawing at each other. I've heard it said that a domestic dispute is the kind of call cops hate most. You don't want to step into the middle of one of those, because chances are they'll both turn and come after you, before going after each other again.

In this case, I'm offering a small, personal olive branch. While I don't think my criticism of Mr. Kerry has been overwhelming, I will support the President, whoever he is, for the next four years. As a former President said, "A house divided upon itself cannot stand." Let's hope that we can shore up the walls and ceilings of our own house come November third. It's a good house. The foundation is good. And if the foundation is good, everything else can be fixed. (Or so Hollywood claims in "The Money Pit").