We have been divided far too long in America…and, about what? Who deserves a shot at the American dream. From the Bible to Lincoln, we have been taught a house divided cannot stand.  And here we find ourselves with not only a House divided but a country divided.

People are mad at others because they are tired of getting shot and killed for nothing.  Folks are angry at people because they want to make a living wage…so they can live.  People are mad at women who want autonomy over their own bodies, health, and lives.  Some are even mad because people want their children to receive a good education. We cannot tear down our democracy because one man loses an election…or can we?  We cannot tolerate the persecution of people because they have a different religion.

Some people are so mad that they are willing to ignore lessons our grandparents taught us, our parents taught us, even lessons they taught their children…don’t lie, don’t steal, don’t cheat, treat others as you would have them treat you.  We had a congresswoman pass inappropriate photos of the President’s son around on floor of Congress…and she is still in that body.  We have a Congress who will not allow the wealthiest in our country to pay higher taxes, and a House willing to shut down our government.  We ignore the fact that Congress has the power to fix what is happening at the border…and yet, year after year they used the President as a scapegoat. 

There were people in the Trump administration who knew full well he was up to something underhanded and illegal long before January 6^th, and they did not have the courage to speak out.  We are learning this as people are publishing their books and testifying after the fact…mind you these are Republicans.  But the ugly truth is the alarm should have sounded long before that day.  It is so saddening that fear, lack of courage, and career protection were reasons to be silent regarding dangers to our democracy.  I suppose I would not find that so repulsive if the military had not done such a good job ensuring we understood how much those who came before us sacrificed for our country.

We have a former President who is a criminal…not petty criminal, not a harmless criminal, not even a mob boss.  He’s more…he is an example for our country, a model for our children, a voice that we cannot seem to quiet, and he has his hands in the doings of our government.  He is not the President. If this was a relationship between two people…he would be considered a stalker. He will not let our country move on…and when an entity cannot move on it stands still.  Israel stood still while rights in their own government were being stripped and the divide was festering…entities within the government frozen.  Here we are today.  That by no means is a suggestion we abandon Israel in the wake of this brutal, savage attack, but if it happens here…who will be left to help us.  Let’s get to work on fixing our own house.  We can walk and chew gum at the same time…so, let’s also continue to help our allies. 

This is America. It’s not Iraq. It’s not Israel. It’s not England or Germany. It is like no other country on this earth. It is not the beacon on the hill where so many of our ancestors have fled because of what it is or has ever been. It is the United States of America because of what we have strived to become and the strides we have made toward becoming…a more perfect union.