As I watch the news these days, I've been struck by the widening chasm in the US and its gotten to the point of being unsettling.  As a nation, we have always welcome freedom of speech and exchange of thought.  What I am seeing these days though borders on mindless ranting. People being whipped into such a frenzy that it smacks of mob rule.  After past elections, Americans have always stood behind their president, even if that person wasn't the one they voted for.  We stood behind the first president from the South, we stood behind the first Catholic president, but now we can't seem to get our act together.  I watched the UN speeches today, and I thought how sad it is that America is perceived as its in wane. We've complained as a country for years now that we are so unliked in the world.  That we've become a greedy self centered society.  We elected a president that we directed to change this impression, to put us on a different path.  i listen to the vitrol and think how ironic how unAmerican we have become.  I listen to groups who take the smallest slice of information and turn it into sensationalism.  I listen to people in stores talk about being Obamatized as if our current president is in total power, that we have no checks and balances and that suddenly the situation we have brought ourselves to is the result of electioning THIS president.  We need to pull ourselves TOGETHER as we have in the past and stand behind our president. and our way of governement.    I'm not talking about blind faith, but we've given 43 other presidents our respect, and given him a chance.  We've had faith in our system.  These days it seems that either you are for the president or against your country.. Since when did we have to choose?  Do we really want our country to continue to head in this direction?  Where we have protests and borderline rioting with parents keeping their kids out of school because they think our president is going to try to indoctrinate our children by a back to school speech?  it makes us look weak and foolish.  The media keeps asking, where are the supporters of Obama, why aren't they as vocal as his detractors.  I for one, figured that what I was hearing was temporary, a case of bad form for the losers, and would pass.  I am a Republican, and yes i voted for Obama. Do I think that I live in a country that would allow death squads?  no.  Do I think we have elected a president who would cause harm to school children.. No. I have faith in our system and collective intelligence, but I thinking these days I have overestimated our common sense.