A DECADE+ OF STORYTELLING POWERED BY THE BEST WRITERS ON THE PLANET

Our Current Political Distress Is A National Test


DON'T WAIT | ONLY A HANDFUL OF DISCOUNTED EARLY BIRD SEATS LEFT! It's not a virtual event. It's not a conference. It's not a seminar, a meeting, or a symposium. It's not about attracting a big crowd. It's not about making a profit, but rather about making a real difference. EXPLORE MORE • REGISTER HERE


It’s been a month since the election now.   I think many of us are startled at the swiftness with which the venom started to flow.   I would imagine this is very likely how Americans were feeling in 1860, with the first state succession (South Carolina), as if their world were being torn asunder.

The Civil War was an extraordinarily painful time in our history, brother against brother, sister against mother, father against son.  So many lives—and families—were torn apart.  Many lost their lives in that argument.  Freedom isn’t cheap.  In the end, freedom for all was victorious, but oh, what a terrible price we paid.

As I watched the post-election news, I saw rioting and some individuals spewing hate.  This is not who we are as a people.  We are a nation that freed Europe from the clutches of a brutal dictator, a country that has fought on many occasions to preserve the autonomy of smaller, less capable republics.

For nearly 250 years we have come together to stand for what we believe in, “liberty and justice for all.”   It is those last two words that are most precious to what makes America great.

Our nation was formed by people seeking a new life, free from persecution by governments or oppressive societies.  The men and women who sought shelter on the shores of our land came here because they saw the promise of choice, the ability to be captain of one’s own ship.

This nation was not formed by white men.   It was formed by Native Americans, poor Irish potato farmers, German tradesmen, Polish laborers, Ukrainian artists, African slaves, Chinese workmen and more.  It was formed by women of many colors, working the soil, tending the livestock, all while raising children.

Our democracy was formed by people from many walks of life.  We have never been a homogeneous nation, not from the very start.  To pretend otherwise is to deny our worldwide heritage.

Two hundred and forty years ago our forebearers came together to form a nation where all were free to work, worship, and love, however and whomever they chose.  Our constitution was created to clearly state what we held most dear, as much for its citizens as it was a declaration to the world.

There are very few among us who can claim racial purity.  We are a nation of mutts; a mix of European, African, Asian, South American and Native.  And, like mutts, it is that diversity that makes us strong in body, mind, and heart.  American ingenuity springs from this peat moss of people, this great mix of talent.

Do not despair of what is happening around you.  We are experiencing growing pains, much like any teenager, for that is what our youthful country is.  And like the 16-year-old who defies curfew, sneaks cigarettes in mom’s car and sips dad’s private stash of whiskey, we are seeing defiance and classic high school, me-versus-them, behavior.

Thankfully, most of us survived our youthful foolishness, as will our nation.  And hopefully, we had parents who loved us despite our rebellion.  Our parents saw past our impetuousness; they saw the person underneath, the daughter or son who was loved and cherished.  We forgive those we love, even if we don’t agree with their actions.

The grand illusion in all of this is that we are separate, that “I” am entirely apart from “you.”  That has never been true, though the inner pioneer in each of us would argue differently.  The reality is we are connected to one another far more than we care to admit.  We share roads, schools, stores, and faiths.  We breathe the same air, drink the same water, and consume the same food.  What happens to each of us, the least of our brother, happens to us all.

READ MORE AT WOMEN’S VOICES MAGAZINE

Mary Clouse
Mary Clousehttp://www.medicinehorsewoman.com/
MARY is an Animal Communicator and Consultant, and she is the author of several books. Email her your animal communication questions with “WVM Question” in the subject line.

DO YOU HAVE THE "WRITE" STUFF? If you’re ready to share your wisdom of experience, we’re ready to share it with our massive global audience – by giving you the opportunity to become a published Contributor on our award-winning Site with (your own byline). And who knows? – it may be your first step in discovering your “hidden Hemmingway”. LEARN MORE HERE


2 CONVERSATIONS

  1. Mary: I’m sorry I don’t think this is growing pains. This is a culture coming apart at the seams. Those of us that didn’t support Obama over the prior two elections didn’t have crying fits. We didn’t need counseling. We didn’t hold protests or riots. What we have seen in the recent weeks is a country falling to ashes, courtesy of Obama and his radical, liberal, and Islamic policies. Sorry, but that is the reality of it.

    • Hi Ken, while I can appreciate that you have a different perspective on our soon-to-be past president, I don’t share your views about Obama’s policies. I am a firm believer that reality has more to do with perception than fact.

RECIPIENT OF THE 2024 "MOST COMPREHENSIVE LIFE & CULTURE MULTIMEDIA DIGEST" AWARD

WE ARE NOW FEATURED ON

EXPLORE 360° NATION

ENJOY OUR FREE EVENTS

OUR COMMUNITIES