A little Emily Post maybe…

I’m Just an Average Joe

I am heartbroken for our country. I want to respond in a world that only desires to react. I want to believe the best of our news media, when all they seem to care about is being first and ratings. I would rather the news media concentrated on getting the story correct, and broadcasting the truth with verified facts. Is that too much to ask? I long for humanity to be righteous and responsible, when the only thing people want is a scapegoat.

My wife and I had just crawled into bed when we first started hearing the news about the Black Lives Matter protest and a sniper taking aim on the police officers that were Protecting and Serving, those that were only there to protest against them. As the protestors ran away from the gunfire, men and women in blue uniforms ran towards the gunfire and stood between the protestors and the deranged man. Only later did we find out that he was bent on doing one thing, kill white officers. Yet, they all stood there between the danger and the public! Because that is just what police officers do.

I don’t understand this kind of hate, this kind of prejudice. Where does it come from? Who fans those flames of hatred? This is not what made America great. There has always been division in America, but we could always talk. Our Founding Fathers had great disagreements when composing the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and our Bill of Rights, but they sat down in a room together and carved out every word, together. Why is together so hard to come by today?

I believe that part of the problem is that we have lost the ability to converse in a civil tone. We have lost the art of compromise and the use of logical reasoning. Everyone has dug in his or her heels and decided it is “my way or the highway!” Everything has become disposable. Peace is disposable, relationships are disposable, and the rule of law is disposable. Even our founding documents are becoming disposable. Like the Bible, only the parts “I” agree with are valid anymore.

How about we just get back to the basics of civility, a civil tone, a polite response, no raised voices and no name-calling or unfounded accusations? Can we try that for a little while and see how that works?

Can we?

Signed,

Average Joe

 

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