My heart is so heavy today. 😔 The air is thick with so much hatred, anger, and animosity. 💔

I realize there are extremists at both ends of the spectrum. Fortunately, as far as I can tell, 👀 those extremists do not represent my family, friends, or colleagues.

So, save for human rights that should be afforded to EVERYONE (respectfully, this is not up for debate and I’m not interested in hearing any justification you might offer arguing otherwise), I contend that in the grand scheme, a lot of the seemingly insurmountable issues that divide many of us are pretty insignificant. And at the heart of things, I truly believe we all want many of the same things; we just have slightly varied ideas of the best ways to achieve those objectives and which elected officials are best equipped to help us get there.

But with many so adamant that anyone who does not agree with 100% of their views is the enemy, I feel compelled to ask, aren’t different viewpoints much of what makes a team or a group or a UNITED NATION wonderful? The ability to help and yes, challenge one another. To bring unique life experiences and knowledge, suggesting practical ideas and potential solutions, then find ways to marry them together with perspectives generated through other people’s unique life experiences and knowledge, thus creating something so much greater and more inclusive than any single individual could have ever hoped to develop alone.

Everyone wants to be heard, yet no one wants to take a few moments to listen to or understand anyone else.

I guess I’m channeling John Lennon these days. “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope some day you’ll join us, and the world will be as one.”

We really need to do better, because we are all we’ve got. One nation, under God…INDIVISIBLE.💗