From 2011-2015 we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, and I read the vast majority (if not all) of the NY Times' excellent "Disunion" series on t

From 2011-2015 we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, and I read the vast majority (if not all) of the NY Times' excellent "Disunion" series on the war. What struck me most was that at the onset of fighting, virtually everyone on both sides could agree on one thing: there was not going to be a prolonged conflict, because the other side had no real reason to fight. To a Northerner, it seemed ridiculous that working-class Southerners would die so a handful of planters could keep slaves. To a Southerner, it seemed ridiculous that any white Northerner would die to free Black slaves that had legally been born into bondage. Paradoxically, these beliefs seemed to be instrumental in driving the war, as both sides believed the other would come to their senses and lay down arms any day now. I do believe this is a danger that we face today, where the belief that civil war is impossible keeps driving us toward it.