The recent election showed more than ever that this country is divided. Just under one-quarter of eligible voters showed up to vote for our current president. Just over one-quarter of eligible voters showed up to vote for the Democratic nominee. One-half of eligible voters did not show up to vote. The folks on the far right and the far left seem to be controlling the messages, some of them extreme, as pointed out by the article you posted. We have a president who has--by most accounts--gotten off to a rocky start. Where does that leave us as a country?
It leaves us--the folks in the middle--to find our voices and decide more than ever to lead by example. We are the majority in this country. Our positions and values might be ignored by the media because we are not interesting people. We do not wear white sheets. We do not live in tents in the town square to support the Occupy Movement. We do not resort to Twitter to call people names--or worse, liars. We are not interested in fringe media. We see through alternative facts. We know that currently few honest, smart, pragmatic thinking, consensus-building, selfless people are willing to run for high office. The few who do are frequently lost in the shuffle because they are not interesting. They are not showmen or showwomen. They are humble. They are selfless. They are respectful during debates. They stick to the issues. They focus on proposed solutions to solve problems. They are not interested in media circuses. Sadly, those people are left behind. They are us.
That said, it is up to us--the majority who reside in the middle, whether you are Republican or Democrat--to work together to preserve our country's (and our respective families') core values. We must make sure our voices are heard. I think we can all agree that the core values we all treasure are:
Liberty
Self-government--a strong democracy
Equality
Individualism
Diversity
Unity
Honesty
Action and achievement oriented
Competition
Volunteerism
We believe so strongly in our core values that we or our children serve our country in uniform. We watch as our loved ones are deployed. We pray for their safety. We count the days until their return. We pray that we never join the ranks of Gold Star families. Yet, even knowing the possible grim consequences, we support our young daughters and sons as they work their way through the military college experience and subsequently military service. Whether we are Republican or Democrat, our children are not engaging in violent protests. They are not shutting down highways. They are not demanding free college educations. Instead, they are working hard to earn their "free" education, even at the risk of personal safety. Our children are not perfect, but they give us hope for a better tomorrow. They are tomorrow's selfless leaders.
As their parents, we have a duty to make our nonviolent voices heard. Enough is enough! Today, I will send a donation to the Travis Manion Foundation. In addition, I will reach out to the Foundation to discuss opportunities to team with them in my community. We can do this!
Thanks for sharing this link, Tug.
