I am so fed up with the divisiveness in our country. Are you?
How does it help any of us to just demonize others, spew hate and blame, and tear each other down in so many ways? What does anyone gain by doing that? If you are fed up with the hate and divisiveness, may I suggest some alternatives?
When you see something you like, or something that is working, praise or laud that thing or person. Encourage the “good people,” the “good acts” and the “good policies” that are working well.
Then, when there is something that is not working for you or causing you grief, look for ways to make a change.
I don’t like the way ICE is treating people, even though I agree that non-citizens who are breaking the law should be deported. It hurts my heart to see fellow human beings treated in the ways they are being treated. I have written emails and made phone calls, signed petitions and sent donations in my feeble attempt to change this.
And I am writing this letter to our local paper in hopes that others, if you are sickened to see humans treated this way, will also work for changes in this policy. Every one of our former presidents has deported thousands of non-citizens. The numbers are huge. But the current president is condoning inhumane treatment of humans with no due process.
No matter how you look at this, I feel that it is wrong. We need immigration reform. I liked the reforms proposed under Biden, but they were not accepted. I still wonder why our legislators would not want to improve this system.
Educate yourself about issues that come up on our ballots, so that you can vote for people or policies that you think are helpful. I always read the voters manual, of course, but there is a lot of information online (more than anyone can ever read in a lifetime). Sometimes, a bill looks like it will do one thing when, in fact, its effect might be quite the opposite.
Think about the kind of policies and principles you want to represent your country, and make sure the people you vote for have a solid history of representing those policies and principles.
My belief is that all of us share some basic core principles that we want our children to live by: honesty, kindness, integrity, responsibility. Don’t we all want those things for ourselves, our communities and our families?
I dream and pray for a world that is “healthy” in mind and spirit — people who care about each other and their community and their world. Is that too much to ask?
Does anyone else think this might be possible?
Blessings to all from perhaps a cockeyed optimist.
Donna Ruby
Randle
