This week was yet another historic moment for our country as a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in what, in essence, was an attempted coup to keep the electoral college from certifying Biden as President. Five people died during the incident, and there were many injuries to the police. There was even a Confederate flag brought into the house chambers, and there were KKK flags at the demonstration.  

It saddens me that our country has sunk so low. Positive conflict and compromise are wonderful and part of what has made our country great and different. 

We no longer seem to have the capacity for E Pluribus Unum. 

We can have opinions. We can disagree. We can be passionate. The grinding of conflicting ideas is critical to progress. However, at the end of all of this, we are all one wonderful thing–Americans. 

Somehow, this has been lost by a large number of our citizens who seem to have joined the cult of always being right. Too many people have moved to an FU culture where if you do not believe as I believe, then FU. 

If you do not look as I look then–FU

If your religion or lack thereof is not mine then–FU

If your personal lifestyle does not reflect mine then–FU

If the person you voted for is not my person then–FU

It goes on and on and on. I see this and I think of all the immigrants, the tired and shattered, that have come to this country over 200+ years to escape the FU and instead find a path to freedom. 

Too many people have grown so hard-hearted and selfish that they are completely unwilling to accept anything that is contrary to exactly what they see as the truth. We have millions of two-year-olds who have lost all emotional intelligence and the ability to really understand the difference between facts and opinions. “It is okay for me to do this because they are worse than me”. “Because they did this, I am going to do that” 

Even my US Senator and Congressperson participated by refusing to certify the election. Not because there were any actual facts to support the issue. The Supreme Court, law suits, U.S. Attorney Generals, State Attorney Generals, and more had agreed there was no evidence; instead, there were mostly rumors. Really, they were afraid of the FU and the impact that working from the truth would have on their own reputation among the FU crowd.

As a result, they will have to live with blood on their hands and history on their conscience, knowing they served to encourage what happened on that terrible day.

Those folks with the flags storming the capital in pursuit of a coup attempt were all strangers to me, just as we’re the people who decided to loot businesses and pull down historical monuments during the riots over the summer.

Not strangers to me have been many folks I know on both sides who have seemed filled with hate and vileness towards people who, in the past, would have been friends with different opinions.

 Can we heal? Honestly, I am not really all that sure. Try to speak subjectively with people on the far either side, and most likely, you do not find any openness to listen.

My person is right, the other person is wrong and that is not going to change no matter what. FU

So sad.

Well for me, I am going to continue to love and support as I believe the Lord would want me to do. I am going to do my duty, as a citizen, as I believe our founders would want me to. I am going to support openness as the millions who have come here for the dream would want me to. I am going to do my best to live in my own very small world with honesty, civility, and objectiveness.

Perhaps someday we will come out of this winter that is our world. In the meantime.

Love you.