Right now in the U.S., it seems that people are more divided than ever, and that sort of notion seems to be the same notion that is had every year. “This year was worse than the last." etc. While that might be true, the things that divide people each year are…. flimsy. Or, rather, people are flimsy themselves, with a short memory that only recalls anger, rather than what exactly happened.

When I was much younger, while in high school and later college, I would often find myself in debates with progressives and leftists –students and teachers alike– who seemed to have unquenched hate for the United States and her Constitution. Yes, certainly there were issues with the country and still are; however, conservatives seemed to be the ones who were championing the Constitution and lawfulness.

President Trump is signing executive orders as if he is going to expire of old age tomorrow and only he can save the world, causing a plethora of lawsuits against his office for the mass firings that judges have ruled as ‘unlawful.’ President Trump's cabinet has been using unsecured text messaging to talk about war plans, bombing, assassinations, and naming CIA agents (Signal chat leak).

In March 2025, during an NBC interview, President Trump said he was, “not joking" about trying to run for a third presidential term, even though the Constitution strictly forbids it. Conservatives, unfortunately, did not cry out in defense of the Constitution, but instead it was liberals.

And the leftists came out in force, for once: admiring that founding document, as if they didn't just spend decades lambasting it, and now Conservatives are mum when they should be furious. Were the conservatives lying before, about caring for the Constitution? Were they just grandstanding? Patting themselves on the proverbial back, and now, when it really matters – when their love for it is put to the test… they are found wanting?

What sore, and awfully discolored humiliation. I hesitate to say that in the coming years, in debates with people from the other side, conservatives will not have those legs to stand on.

And then conversely the indignation that is had by leftists at that a man who has constitutional protections for being born in the United States is sent to another country without due process – that the document that is at its core the centerpiece of American Law that they showed disrespect to over the years – makes them look poor. Perhaps it will be taken as a lesson in the years to come if we make it out of this.

How the tides have turned in such a short time, with such short memories all around. The actual issues, the logic behind the document, and those issues seem to be just a vehicle for anger and resentment for both sides. What should it look like in the future? Will the leftists be the new champions of law, and conservatives “the emotional ones?" Or will it flip-flop again to suit whatever is on the current agenda?

Austin Petak is an aspiring novelist and freelance journalist who loves seeking stories and the quiet passions of the soul. If you are interested in reaching out to him to cover a story, you may find him at austinpetak@gmail.com.

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