Note: This story originally appeared on DailyKos.

Us. No "them".

This is a part of my story of hope. Of removing divisions which create "us" and "them" dichotomies. A hope to create a single "us".

In this part, I'll go into what I perceive the challenge of division is, where it may come from, and hints of how it could be mitigated. Possible future parts may address causation specifics, more detail on circumstances and manifestations of division, and specific avenues, techniques, and ways of thinking about its removal. (I'm new to this type of participatory, communal process of addressing challenges of this scope, so am not sure how — or even if — this will evolve.)

I have been exploring internal and external language — the dialogue we use to engage ourselves and others. One of the things I encounter frequently is specific language used to invoke or evoke specific behaviours. Of late, this is most evident in the right-wing narrative and agenda in engendering divisiveness, in particular, their patronage of the "us vs them" paradigm. The right has been working on promulgating division for over 50 years. They are very good at it.