The conversations in our nation lead to one conclusion: we are creating an ideological inequality which will be painful to emerge from. The working definition of “ideological inequality” we are using is the outcome realized when people are led to believe others are not equal to them in ideas and are, therefore, less deserving.

Think of this situation by visualizing the shape of a horseshoe magnet. At each end, we have polarized points of view entrenched in camps of thought which will not be moved. The vast majority of Americans understand that these extremes are unacceptable, from either side. They do not believe they have an African-born communist, Muslim president, nor do they believe redistribution of wealth to be the solution to the economic crisis. As each end of the magnet tries to pull them toward one direction, they become agitated and their anger and frustration will become intensified.

The Occupy movement brought the beginning of a reasonable dialogue about the changes the vast majority of Americans could agree with. Affordable health care and education, social justice, income equality, the belief that corporations are not people and that money is not speech, the need for living-wage jobs and the removal of big money from our political process are among the topics brought to the forefront that remain part of the conversation today.

Eventually, the magnet will burst from the pressure. A resurgence of the Occupy movement’s message will be that which will be heard as all the king’s horses and all the king’s men try to put the magnet back together again.

Horses need new shoes from time to time.