Let’s Get Back

This is a nation founded upon the principle that we will welcome those who flee tyranny, religious persecution, deprivation,  and terrorism. This is a nation founded upon the ideals of opportunity, justice, and freedom from fear for all.  This is a nation where many have fought to defend these principles, both on our soil and in other countries.
There was a time when we knew how to agree to disagree, with respect, in observance of our right to liberty.
There was a time when we lauded those who spoke up and raised consciousness about the work needed to ensure that all of us enjoyed our right to live in peace, to practice our religion, and to enjoy equal opportunity.
There was a time when we trusted the news, because we knew it had been strenuously verified and had passed the test of Truth.
All of these higher purposes for our nation have been crippled, suffocated, and in some cases completely shunned. 
We have lost our manners, our emotional intelligence, and our common sense. We irrationally target anyone who doesn’t look or sound like us or practice the same religion with hatred and outright terror. We take speculative and inaccurate information and propagate it until it becomes our truth.
Evil does exist in the world, but it isn’t unilaterally attributable to any specific group your mind creates based upon gender, religion, ethnic background, sexual orientation, profession, or political affiliation. In fact, classifying others in this way and subsequently directing bias or hatred toward them merely reveals the evil in our hearts.
There are so many higher purposes to expend effort on: poverty, abuse, illiteracy, injustice, disenfranchisement, the health of the planet, and discrimination in all forms.
Let’s shake off the shackles of suspicion and opportunism and get back to being the nation who truly stands for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – For ALL