Reconsidering the divisions between rural and urban, and Lincoln's maxim: 'A house divided ... cannot stand'

(Photo by Kelly Sikkema, Unsplash)

Considering the political division in America today, it seems hard to see how the country will get through it together, but recalling U.S. history can offer context. "Many consider the oft-quoted phrase by Abraham Lincoln, 'A house divided against itself cannot stand,” as almost cliché. But in reality, it may contain nearly as much relevance and be as applicable today as in Lincoln’s time," writes John Rukhus Jr. of Southside Pride, in southern Minneapolis. "Taking into account the social upheaval and political events in just the last several years alone, one detects shades of a societal climate that existed in the late 1850s and later during Reconstruction. The racially charged discourses of the abolitionists versus their Southern counterparts and later Jim Crow are reflected in today’s actions and reactions regarding the Black Lives Matter movement and the passage of laws in several states to restrict voter access to the polls."

In that discussion, "There is one demographic that is often overlooked, that is, until the most recent presidential election. We are talking about rural America, a segment of the political and societal map whose attitudes and shifts in political leanings can have far-reaching implications nationally," Rukhus writes. "There is a long history, of course, of rural dwellers being written off with the help of stereotypes as being rubes, rustic, ignorant, unsophisticated and isolated. But with the development of better schools in rural areas and the proliferation of public media, rural citizens have become much more connected and savvier than they were, say, 70 years ago."

The divides between rural and urban have led more alienation between Americans, and rural dwellers have had to bear a disproportionate amount of community loss: "There is an underlying current of frustration and fear that is as much economic as political. Insurance companies and other large corporations buy up the farmland and create 'megafarms,' pushing out the family farmer," Rukhus notes. "Retail giants like Dollar General and Kwik Trip and Walmart shut down existing small businesses, while fast food corporations like A&W and McDonald's spring up to replace mom and pop cafes. People who once had economic freedom are forced to work long hours at low wages to support their families. It is like living in economic jail."

Rukhus opines, "Once a bastion of Democratic political leanings, in the last presidential election they threw their support at then-President Donald Trump. Emboldened by the demagoguery of the former president, they found a voice to their frustrations where previously they felt marginalized, disenfranchised and left behind by the American dream. Lest the Democratic party make the fateful mistake of losing this large bloc of American voters forever, they had best find a way to speak to these independent-minded citizens and address their particular issues and concerns."