Americans divided over what US stands for on this July Fourth

Rarely have Americans been so divided on what their country stands for as on the 246th anniversary of independence.

As red, white and blue fireworks burst in air on Monday night, politics may not be at the forefront of most people’s minds.

Yet a fractious partisan age is undeniably penetrating everyone’s lives.

If, as Abraham Lincoln said, a house divided against itself cannot stand, the years to come beckon even more national discombobulation. The unity for which President Joe Biden pleaded in his inaugural address seems more elusive than ever.

US democracy is still fighting for its survival, as the House