Are We Broken Beyond Repair?
“A house divided against itself cannot stand” ~ Abraham Lincoln
Over the weekend, more Americans and foreign nationals were killed or injured in shootings in Texas, Ohio, & Illinois. I’m not going politicize these acts of violence unless you consider a plea for people to come together and have open discussions about what is happening in our country to be a political act. To repeat, I’m not politicizing, I just want people to talk and work out a plan to help prevent these atrocities from happening again (and again, and again). There are people on both ends of the spectrum of the gun debate…those who feel that gun ownership should be an unrestricted right to those that feel every gun on the street should be impounded. I’m sure the answer lies somewhere between those two, far opposing views. I have my own ideas and thoughts on the matter as I’m sure most people do…but the time to keep victims of these senseless acts of violence in our thoughts and prayers has long since passed…now is the time for action by our nation’s leaders. Now is the time to come together and have open discussions and not point fingers to assign blame. Now is the time to look at the naked facts of these types of crimes and come up with a solution.
The question you must ask yourself is what is more important? What core beliefs do you value higher than others…write it down on a list so you can examine it. Do you value the constitution? Do you value life? Do you value safety? Do you value community? Do you value being ‘right’ more than ‘what’s the best solution’? When it comes to the question of guns and public safety, it has become an issue that has deeply divided our nation…one more issue where people have incredibly strong feelings and are willing to become belligerent to defend their point of view. People have become so entrenched in their view as the only way that nothing is being accomplished and innocent people continue to die. The answer lies out there if only people will take time to sit and have an open dialogue…present their views in a rational and fact-based manner. I think people might be surprised what they can accomplish if they set feelings aside and discussed things in the terms of what is possible versus what is impossible.
I have friends and family that are in both camps of this debate and both sides have very strong feelings on the matter. I have my own ideas that could find the middle ground, but compromise requires both sides of the argument to give a little ground on their beliefs in order to help us all in the end. The arguments for both sides of the issue are limitless and circular but, in the end, something needs to be done and the only way to get things done is for both opposing viewpoints to come together and act...together. Communication…open dialogue…factual information…the ability to work for the common good. These are all things we, as a nation, must strive for. Social media has given all of us a voice…a voice that can carry far and wide. We often use that voice to lash out, to disparage the opposing viewpoints through cruel words and memes. These actions only act to drive the wedges of distrust further into the fabric of our society…will we ever be able to truly trust people again? Has America gone so far down the path that we can no longer recover? What drastic catalyst will occur that brings people from behind the walls of their own agenda and work towards a common goal again? I fear what that catalyst might be and the horrible cost it will have to extract before people will come together again to work for the common good of humanity.
My goal here is to prompt people to think about what they value and to prompt real thought, not just the rhetoric of their viewpoint. What are people willing to do to help make America a better place to live? There are so many dividing points here in America…but I truly believe that there are also things that can bring us together to. I have hope that we, as a nation, can find solutions and keep moving forward versus pointing fingers and blame. Yes, there are many things that we can point our fingers at but in the meantime, people continue to die. We, as a nation, must address this before it becomes too late. Left, Right or Centralist…we need to find a way forward together because in the end, we need each other to make America a better place to be…together.
As schools start up all over the country, I hope that everyone has a safe year full of learning and free from the tragedies that have haunted our nation for years. Take care of yourself and each other, remember, we’re all in this together.
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
wmreid@bhcshealth.com