We Are All Part of the Solution

Dear America,

We all deserve better and should demand more. I am not talking about a sense of individual entitlement…no, I mean both individual and collective dignity. For far too long we have been divided and it has not resulted in us being a great nation. Great nations are civilized. They do not war within or without because they have found peace and contentment for their citizenry. When I was a teacher, I only used the word GREAT when my students got the correct answer, understood why it was correct, and could model it for others to replicate. We are not great now but we can be great.

We must first stop reacting to one another by attacking or defending ourselves. We have to learn to listen and actually hear each others’ hearts. We have to stop letting fear be the guide to our decision-making. We must decide, together, what we want this country to be. Yes, we have systems that are derelict in their purpose for civility and justice but we THE PEOPLE are what makes up the nation. We MUST NOT see our fellow citizens as our enemy. Our enemy is deception; poverty; greed; hatred… our enemy is injustice for any one of our fellow citizens. Some seek to maintain their position of power so they have controlled the narrative for far too long. They have put us against one another. I promise you even they are not my enemy. It may seem like they are winning but our futures are inextricably intertwined and the destruction of any one of us is the destruction of all of us.

I am asking.. no begging you, all my brothers and sisters in this nation, to stop. Be still for a moment. Reflect and define for yourself what you hope your future to be. What future do you want for future generations? Do you have a dream as beautiful as Dr. King’s? Now, ask yourself how we got to where we are. Remove from your mind for the moment the generalizations of groups, and think how did we end up here with all the resources available to us? It’s animosity: in some form or another. It’s fear. It’s deception. So, how do we not repeat the patterns of our past? Let’s try something new. Let’s try forgiveness. Let’s try truth and openness. Let’s try hope and faith that we can get to greatness together because we have been guaranteed the unalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Let’s take hold of this right together. It may mean letting some things go..but only to gain something far greater…peace, stability, tranquility, and wholeness.

DEAR MY FELLOW AMERICANS… I too have a dream and I believe now is the time that we can all be set free from the mistakes of our past leaders and ancestors by choosing to let go of fear and grab hold of one another. No more hate… no more shaming… we need reconciliation… all of our lives depend on it!