The more complex things become, the more they seem to unravel. Political debates have some rules and personalities become involved. Complex. One leading candidate skipped a debate because he felt one of the moderators might be unfair to him. Unraveling.

The recent occupation of the wildlife refuge near Burns had armed outsiders come in and refuse to leave when asked — even though they originally said they would leave if asked by local folks. Complex. Law enforcement finally acted, someone reacted and one person died. Unraveling.

The current run for president has many unusual stories, and those stories are not just about the candidates. The supporters for this or that candidate have been surprising in their rabid support. Big-money contributors are backing one candidate; small contributors are swelling in number for another candidate. All this makes for an unusual campaign season. Sure, some things never change; some supporters always show their true colors.

The two events — the campaign and the occupation — point out the fact that we are a country divided, not just a little bit, but a whole lot. It is not just Democrat versus Republican — it is factions within each party. It is ideology versus belief system. In the case of the occupiers, it is even a matter of which Constitution you read. A recent Bulletin article points out that the Bundy folks carry their version of the Constitution with them and find all the justification for what they are doing in it.

Such division and “us versus them” mentalities are not new to our world. Religious wars are made of such divisions, and not just a religion versus another one, but factions within a given religion create unholy divisions and even war. The Bible and the Quran are cited by one faction or the other in ways you would not imagine as to their differences.

As candidates debate, hold town hall meetings and make speeches, we have heard some truly unsettling remarks. Hopefully, that is all they were, not deeply held positions. Think of it — carpet bomb ISIS into oblivion? How would you even do that with such a small group without killing many, many innocent people? Prohibit Muslims from coming into this country — really, an entire major religion, any and all of them? Build a wall and make Mexico pay for it? I wonder how that would work.

And the Bundy faction wants to turn over all federally owned land to local ownership and make the Bureau of Land Management only for cattle, I guess, even though other uses such as recreation and preservation are in the interest of the public beyond those who run cattle on BLM land.

Unusual ideas, positions, remarks and beliefs shock some of us, and others of us cheer them on with gusto. We are not just divided, but at the very least we are individuals with individual thinking.

It is fine to be different; it is not fine to break the law or kill over it. There are ways to protest, peacefully and with gusto; those ways can and do work. Occupation of federal property and outlandish methods of discriminating against others not like us hopefully do not work.

— Miles Hutchins is a retired Redmond resident who grew up in Central Oregon.