It is often stated history tends to repeat itself. One example is President John Adams and his son President John Quincy Adams. They remained the only father-son presidents until George H.W. Bush and his son George W. Bush. In another instance, Grover Cleveland was the only president to serve two separated terms in office, until Donald J. Trump.

            Some prognosticators posit the United States is on the verge of a Civil War. They point to a divided people where brothers, sisters, siblings, spouses, and families disavow their relationships and refuse to communicate because of for whom they cast their vote. Pundits attest to a dysfunctional Congress where each political party is too entrenched in their own dogma to accomplish the people’s bidding. Prophesiers allude to the population as a whole whereby citizens deny and denounce the opinions of fellow Americans. Soothsayers indicate more and more people lean towards a solution in which death to opponents is acceptable. State governors and legislatures openly defy the federal government. Still others espouse the United States is already in a civil war as internal minor skirmishes occur; only open armed conflict is next.

            All arrows point to the most detested republican president of all; hated by democrats, the press, and some republicans. Published are grotesque caricatures of his physical appearance. He is burned in effigy and called a variety of vulgarities. He is an outsider, not of established Washington and certainly not worthy of their patronage. He is so loathed half the country opposes him. He is deemed a threat to democracy. Assassination plots and attempts occur before he takes the Oath of Office. All across the land in towns, counties, states, and in Congress, politicians and judges attempt to thwart his every policy. National unity is not an option.

            It is 1861. He is Abraham Lincoln. Did his democratic foes, opposition press, and republican naysayers suffer LDS (Lincoln Derangement Syndrome) when they joined or supported the War Between the States?

Today, are we Americans fast moving towards a more deadly, more destructive, twenty-first century repeat of the worst war on U.S. soil? Some people think so. Some people hope so. Some people want so. If so, only we can prevent it. We need to chill.