Who are we?

I’m throwing this together at the last minute, so I hope it makes some sense.  I’m just spit balling here, typing out loud. 🤷‍

A couple of days ago, one of our bloggers was asking about “How to love a country that doesn’t love you back.”  Here, in the U.S., a lot of people are feeling that way these days.  They and their chosen lifestyles are feeling rejected by the country as a whole.  Whether racially, ethnically, sexually, other, they do not feel safe or wanted. Are such people being paranoid, experiencing some kind of perceived indignance?  Or, is such treatment real?

I was lying in bed this morning thinking about those feelings of rejection, trying to figure out the “whys” of it all.  And, there are plenty.  We all know what those reasons are.  We also know it’s complicated.  As populations grow larger and more diverse, the problem gets exacerbated, almost exponentially.

It seems, politically, everyone is at each other’s throats.  For the most part, we’ve “chosen teams” and seemingly will fight to the political death (of a party) over the eventual outcome.  Who will “win” (have the final say-so)?  As a result of that inner-conflict, I have to wonder if America is destined to eventually fail.  And that would be a real shame, because it really once was, in my opinion, “the shining city on the hill,” as proclaimed by Republican President, Ronald Reagan.

Back in my father’s day, America once represented many desirable freedoms that only a handful of countries out there have enjoyed.  Patriotism abounded, and freedom of thought and expression, freedom of the press, freedom of religion or no religion, etc., was a given.  America said you could be all that you could be, and you believed it; that YOU were in charge of your own destiny.  How great was that?!?  Very.

So, what happened?

What do you think?  Is there a problem?  Is this post an overreaction?  Is it spot-on?  Does American idealism need “fixing”?  Is America even broken?  Is it destined to eventually fail?

What’s your take on all of this?  What is the ultimate solution?  Is a solution needed?  What is in America’s future?

Like I did, just go where your mind take you.  And thanks for giving us your perspective.