We have all become painfully aware of this country’s political, cultural and social divide. The polar differences in our society are apparent to all here and abroad.

There is no doubt that these differences have always existed; however, in the last three decades, they have become more extreme due mainly to the omnipotence of the internet that has democratized mass communication. Everyone is now an online editor, a publisher or an editorialist. Unfortunately, not all these pundits are well informed, educated, professional or ethical in spreading their messages. These differences are a spike that uncontrolled social media is driving into the heart of our republic.

The question is, what underlies these differences? What divides us as a people who, to some extent, have historically held a shared understanding of what it is to be an American, a citizen of a republic and a believer in democracy?

If we examine what drives the significant issues dividing our body politic, one apparent reason is abundantly clear — a fear of change.

The latter part of the 20th century ushered in a period of accelerated change that has shaken our traditional cultural, social and economic beliefs. Among them are:

• The massive destruction and societal disruption caused by climate change.

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• The mass migration of immigrants across the globe.

• The ascendancy of women as influential players in our political, cultural and economic lives.

Many deny climate change is occurring because to accept it requires adapting to a new way of living — forsaking internal combustion engines for electric ones, training for new jobs, recycling waste materials, converting to renewable energy sources, consuming and wasting less and investing in sustainable transportation, housing and agriculture.

It requires phasing out fossil fuel and related industries, threatening those who work in these industries and those who have amassed considerable wealth from them. Climate change also requires our workforce to become better educated, acquire new job skills and compete with others hungry to partake in the American economic experience.

Climate change has also dramatically exacerbated the migration of millions from the Southern to the Northern Hemisphere. These migrants have moved north to escape the resulting droughts, floods and constant poverty, famine, disease and civil strife associated with dramatic global warming.

Countless migrants line up at our borders seeking to find a refuge. As immigrants enter our country, they continuously change the face of our communities and local, state and national legislatures. Once the bedrock of the Northern European racial group, our political bodies now represent a vast array of people different from the dominant coalition in ethnicity, race and religion — a change threatening those who have enjoyed a privileged place in our society.

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The battle raging over women’s reproductive rights also reflects a dramatic opposition to change. This battle is a proxy war for a much broader issue: women’s demand for greater autonomy and control of their lives, a demand threatening the historically dominant role of males in our society.

Women are now entering the ranks of corporate CEOs, civic leadership and, perhaps, the ultimate power broker role, the presidency of the United States. These changing roles have altered traditional views of family structure and life, not only here but in most of the world’s industrial nations.

These issues reflect the resistance of a large portion of our population to accept and adapt to change. They resist change because it creates fear and anxiety about an unknowable future. It brings with it loss — the loss of a job, authority, prestige and workplace relationships. However, for those willing to embrace it, change can also create new opportunities, challenges and growth.

Examine the fossil record, and you will find that those species that couldn’t adapt to environmental change perished. If we cannot adapt and accept change as a necessity for ensuring that our republic remains healthy and robust, we will cause its extinction — change or perish. Those are the options.

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