Overcoming the Balkanization of America

The Balkanization of America is more the fault of the media and politicians than it is the fault of Americans.  The real Balkans is the historical name of the area of southeastern Europe on the east side of the Adriatic Sea.  It’s the former Yugoslavia which was really made up of at least five nations of varying cultures.  This area includes Croatia, Bosnia, and Kosovo.  The United States still has troops there to keep the peace.

Balkanized places in the world are all about hate and separation.  The reason for those hatreds and dislikes are too varied to easily define.  My problem is that Americans have allowed this situation to develop in our country over hundreds of years.  It’s a sad historical fact.  Barack Obama talks about the country not being made up of red states and blue states instead everyone being part of the United States.  It’s wonderful rhetoric.  How can he make that happen when we are so diverse?

Regional separation exists in our country.  It is most pronounced with regard to the South.  That separation is the result of slavery and the Civil War.  To this day some southerners are still displaying the Confederate flag.  I personally was confronted just a few years ago in Spartanburg, South Carolina by a man in the airport who tried to convince me that bigotry and hatred for Blacks was part of their (southerners) past.  It was he who wanted this discussion, not me.  He gets credit for trying to stop the impression that I hold from both the media and personal experience.

Racial and ethnic divisions are the real challenge for the United States.  The level of hate for other races and religions continue almost unabated.  The fact that there is even a Wikipedia entry entitled Racism in the United States tells us that many people feel victimized by this situation.  As I prepared this article I saw a report of two Latinos that are allleged gang members killing an African-American for racial reasons.  The killing took place in my community.

While Los Angeles has many integrated communities it has become common knowledge that hatred between Blacks and Latinos is very prevalent.  This article in the Los Angeles Times written on October 17, 2007 supports this undeniable reality.  There are just too many of these incidents for all of us to ignore.  Searches on the internet or a scan of your local newspaper will tell you that the situation is not unique to the Los Angeles area.

At the same time, a walk through the upscale shopping mall in my community tells me that we are a changing society where I see Asians from all countries, Europeans, Jews, Muslims, and Christians all comfortably mixing.  As a white man I am in the minority.  As pointed out on Chris Matthews weekend show white Europeans will soon be the minority group in America.  Younger people are more accepting of differences.  So there is hope.

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Rob Taylor has suggested that the melting pot objective for America is the best solution.  It is one I definitely support and believe should be encouraged.  Barack Obama, with a White mother and a Black father personifies that objective.