Diversity or Unity....at the crossroads

It's a rainy Monday morning here in SE Kansas; a bit on the cool side as well, but I'm sitting in my cozy office, contemplating the state of affairs in our once proud Country. What the heck has happened?

I'm not a particularly political guy, and usually skirt those conversations when confronted by someone trying to convince me that they're right and I'm wrong. Maybe I am, but maybe it's in the gray area of "to be determined", and it's them who may be proven to be wrong.

But really, can't we just agree to disagree on the issues where we have different points of view?

We've become a humorless society. No one can say anything that someone else doesn't take offense. I mean, folks have become so adamant about diversity that we no longer have any unity. Remember when we celebrated the fact that we were the United States of America, not the many fractured, individual segments that previously united together as one....I miss those days.

Yes, I'm considered to be just another stodgy old man, whose opinions are to be cast aside by those who believe they know better. Perhaps they do, but maybe, just maybe, history will play out differently than they imagine. I struggle every day with some of the ideas that are put forth as being "main stream". Some of those are so radical, and foreign to my way of thinking that I've never even seen the "stream"  they're talking about, let alone ever drifted downstream in it.

Tomorrow is election day, and the news is filled with the typical rhetoric, polls, and projections of which party will take control. The hot topics are fairly typical, except that there is more volatility from the people espousing both sides of every issue. In some cases, it borders on pure hatred for the opposition, rather than civil discourse regarding their opinions.

I'm tired of the mess that has become politics in our country. I'm tired of the terms "far left" and "far right". I'm tired of the divisive nature of the various factions that propose that their way is the only way, and if you don't agree, you're an idiot. But, most of all, I'm tired of what we've allowed our country to become. Yes, I'm old-school, and it's doubtful that, at this point in my life, I'm going to change my views on some of the issues that are deeply embedded in my soul.

So please, if you want to convince me to come over to your point of view, be prepared to have a civil conversation, based on facts, figures, and sound reasoning. Raising your voice does nothing to support your cause. Using profanities, threatening violence, or calling me names will lead me to quickly dismiss the validity of your argument, so please don't waste your time.

I realize that my words will have very little impact on those who oppose my views of our politicians, our divisive rhetoric, or on the issues which I hold close to my heart.....I weep for what we've lost in this once proud Country. But, once again, What do I Know.