It's likely impossible for you to read something today that will greatly change your mind or your point of view about President Donald Trump's State of the Union speech Tuesday night.
In fact, here's betting that a sizable chunk of Americans had their minds made up before the first word was delivered.
We are that divided, and most of America has its heels dug in and its minds made up one way or another.
Jay GreesonEither Trump can do no wrong or he's the devil in the flesh, and his 90-minute speech before Congress asking for unity and even praising the growing number of women (mainly Democrats) who were elected is not going to sway that.
It's where we are. But it's where we need to leave. And we need to start making the trip as soon as possible.
Maybe the leaders of each side will review their actions during the last handful of these speeches-turned-pep-rallies-turned sideshows that have gone from a state of the union to a testament of the distaste among the leaders of our union.
It would be fine by me if we treated this as a serious event rather than a kindergarten graduation in which almost every pause is going to bring someone to their feet. (Side note: Who has a guess at how many three-martini early suppers were being consumed in D.C. Tuesday? Well, there's 535 members of Congress, so let's set the over/under at 534.5.)
The hokey-pokey jocularity - step-in, step-out, make sure you get on TV - of the modern version of the State of the Union is the simple core of the single biggest shortcoming from far too many of the folks in Washington.
It feels as if far too many of them are there for themselves, their party and their pet causes. Period and let's move on.
Without getting into the many layers of Trump's remarks, because the details on this one can deflect us from the overarching simplicity of the bigger picture, it's fair to say that the general theme of his State of the Union was bipartisanship.
And still, that was not enough for his antagonists. And to be fair, the Republicans did the same exact thing during all of President Barack Obama's State of the Unions, too.
All of us understand the philosophical differences between the parties, and when topics like "The Wall" or abortion or food stamps are discussed, half the room - and half the country - is likely going to be on the other side of the issue. That's fine.
But when half the room is only pleased when praised, and, worse yet, a sizable chunk of those in attendance do not stand up when World War II veterans are recognized, then we have fully misplaced the meaning of being an American because we are too focused on being a Democrat or a Republican.
Or when we can't get behind more jobs for minorities or attempts to stop sex traffickers or a strong military or so many things that transcend a side and should be universally embraced by everyone in these once-United States.
It makes you wonder what it will take for a change to truly come.
Maybe it would take the horrific realization of an 11-year-old boy like Joshua Trump being bullied simply because of his last name.
Joshua was recognized Tuesday night at the State of the Union. He ultimately fell asleep, which is not all that surprising since the speech stretched almost to 10:30 p.m.
What was surprising was that Joshua's nap was nowhere near the most inexplicable moment of the evening.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6343.