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America Divide or United

America, Divided or United? It's Our Choice

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America: An Uncomfortable Current Trend:

As a nation, we have been trending over the past several decades in an uncomfortable direction for many Americans. There is a significant number of Americans who would like us to focus on the critical issues facing our nation such as poverty, racism, a quality education for all, a good-paying job, affordable medical care, security for themselves and family, and the ability to enjoy a prosperous life with their families. They desire to see their children afforded equal opportunities to enjoy success in the future.? They want to see their leaders and role models embrace ethics, honesty, accountability, and personal integrity in the way they conduct themselves and how they influence their children.? They want to see racism end forever.? They want to see every child provided with a quality education.? They want to see poverty end in our country.? They want to see an equal opportunity for all. Finally, they want to see no child go to bed hungry or family go without food.?

However, somehow extreme views and positions have taken control of our moral compass and vision for all our citizens.? Greed, special interest groups, power, corruption, self-serving personal agendas, and partisan politics have corrupted our core values and principles of governance and openness.

To understand this trend, I would like to challenge you to read the following questions while asking yourself which of these are the most important to you personally.?

When did we become so intolerant?

When did we become so angry?

When did we become so disrespectful?

When did we stop listening to other points of view?

When did our hearts become so filled with self-satisfaction?

When did our souls become so empty of love for others not like us?

When did we decide to partner with hate?

When did we become so blinded by our ideas that we left no room for compromise?

When did we stop believing in the worthiness of every human being?

When did it become all about us with no room for others?

When did we stop trusting others?

When did empathy for others who are less fortunate leave us?

When did our hearts become rusty with bigotry and contempt for other races and religions?

When did we stop caring?

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America: A Vision of Possibilities

Amid the current vortex of chaos, confusion, challenge, conflict, and change, we previously gave some thought to what we, as human beings, caring people, and proud Americans could do that might help bring us together as a united America, embracing the differences that have pulled us apart in the past, healing the wounds of division by the power of our love, kindness, and acceptance.

To understand the possibilities of a united future where everyone counts and where everyone has a seat at the table of success, where everyone shares from the menu of opportunity, we need to ask the following what-if questions.? Once again, challenge yourself when asking the questions, which ones are most important to me?

What if we each start to build the bridge one plank at a time over the gap that separates and divides Americans into polarizing camps.?

What if we took the first step to bury our grievances toward other people and groups??

What if we stopped the hate with our love and kindness?

What if we stopped the rumors and explored both sides of the dispute?

What if we did not allow ourselves to feel sorry for ourselves but tried instead to uplift others with words of encouragement?

What if we took our energy and committed ourselves to helping others less fortunate than us?

What if we extended a helping hand to someone in need on the other side of the gap?

What if we listened, truly listened to others we disagreed with?

What if we demonstrated empathy for someone else’s problems?

What if we showed respect for others on the opposite side?

What if we demonstrated compassion for someone with opposing views?

What if we demonstrated tolerance in the face of hatred?

What if we embraced forgiveness for those who have acted with malice?

What if we demonstrated calmness when dealing with conflict and adversity?

What if we trusted the other side’s words, intentions, and deeds before we condemned their actions?

What if we tried to help, in whatever way possible, to bridge the gap of difference with others?

What if we would be open to exploring common elements of mutual agreement as opposed to immediately debating points of disagreement.

Let’s all make an effort to welcome love and compassion for others as our permanent partners on our life’s journey.

These actions will help bridge the divide, heal our hurt, open our souls, and create one America dedicated to the success and wellbeing of every person.? An American where everyone is welcomed, where everyone has a seat at the table of opportunity, where everyone is respected, where everyone is loved, and where anyone has the opportunity to fulfill their dreams and aspirations. That is what it means to be united as one country.

As an individual, I thought that I did not have the power, network, time, or personality to make a difference.? However, hearing about all the heroic stories and acts of kindness that have surfaced during the past 12 months of people helping others in need has convinced me that anything is possible.? Individuals can indeed make a difference.? Even if it is only a small difference delivered through an unselfish act of kindness, it can still touch someone's heart, lift someone up, if only a little, and make someone else life just a little more bearable.? A single individual act of kindness can spread and multiple helping to place planks on the bridge over the gap of intolerance.? By placing a single plank of respect, a single plank of caring, a single plank of love, a single plank of empathy, or a single plank of kindness can help bring us together as one nation built on a great tapestry of people, races, religions, cultures, and communities.

So what can you do as an individual?? I will tell you what I am going to do.? I am going to commit the rest of my life to place as many planks of kindness as I can every week to help build the bridge over the gap that divides us as a community.? Will it make a substantial difference, probably not?? But it will have a positive impact on the lives of the people who interact with me along my life’s path and that one act can multiply.? One act may lead to 10 acts, which may lead to 100 acts, which may lead to a thousand acts, which may lead to ten thousand acts.

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Finally, in addition to trying to close the gap that divides so many Americans into polar opposite camps by acts of kindness, we need a set of core values.? Acts of kindness alone may not be sufficient to sustain a long and lasting behavioral shift that will permanently close the gap of intolerance and disrespect.

In my book, Rebirth of American Greatness, I included the following examples of national shared values and aspirations that would cement the behavioral changes necessary to create a truly inclusive, collaborative, and respectful community of caring and loving citizens that are willing to listen to diverse points-of-view and constructively debate their position looking for win/win solutions.

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A Possible set of National Core Shared Values

I need to clarify what I mean by a set of national core values. I can hear the critics now, saying, “How dare he recommends a set of values? Who does he think he is? Whose values are they, and what if I don’t agree with these values?” I ask you to hold off on your judgment and criticism of my belief that we need to embrace and constantly reinforce a set of national core values that are taught from the day our children are born to the day they die. So please open your mind to at least exploring these values in the context of where our nation is currently—how Americans are living their lives and conducting themselves at work and in society. For every value that I list thousands of Americans are living those values every day and just as many of our fellow citizens are not demonstrating those values. I will first list the core values that I believe will strengthen the cultural fabric of our great nation if they are taught and constantly reinforced at home and throughout our school system. Second, I will add some additional context which I will import from my first book, Death of the American Heart. The following are the core values I believe should be part of the American cultural fabric:

·?????? Respect

·?????? Loyalty

·?????? Honesty

·?????? Integrity

·?????? Hard work

·?????? Dedication

·?????? Commitment

·?????? Sharing

·?????? Helping others

·?????? Compassion and caring

·?????? Personal responsibility

?It is my strong belief that if there were more emphasis in our country on values, religion, and the various gods that represent the major religions, there would be a profound and positive impact on the behavior of future generations of adults in the United States. I also believe that teenage pregnancy would decline significantly and high school dropout rates, especially those of our minority students, would fall rapidly. Personal integrity and honesty would reassert themselves in our academic, government, and business communities and relationships. I deeply believe that there would be a greater appreciation of diversity, a more willing attitude to help others in need, and an increased kindness to others, regardless of their lots in life or their background. In the long term, I think we would see a significant reduction in corruption among our government officials and business leaders.

For people who do not believe in God or have no affiliation with a religion, this is not a problem, because the values that our Founding Fathers espoused and the values I have listed above are universal in their association to all of humankind, and they apply to everyone in our country.

·?????? Wouldn't you like to see the prison population in the United States decrease, especially the number of black and Hispanic young men?

·?????? Wouldn't you like to see our elected representatives demonstrate a higher order of personal integrity?

·?????? Wouldn't you like to see our business leaders and union leaders operate with a greater amount of openness and honesty in their transactions?

·?????? Wouldn't it be great if our entertainers and sports heroes were outstanding role models for our youth to emulate?

·?????? Wouldn't it be great to know that our young men and women embodied truth and decency in their interactions?

All of these things are possible if we embrace a value-driven philosophy throughout our society. A society that does not embrace a set of core operating principles will produce a society of misfits and socially irresponsible, self-centered, greedy, uncaring citizens. How could you argue that the values listed above are not an appropriate way to behave and conduct your life?

These values are the basic core elements of how we should treat each other, regardless of whether we believe in a God, Mother Nature, some other force in the universe, or just ourselves. If you disagree with these universal values, then what will you espouse as your central theme in life regarding how you behave, treat others, and function in our society? What would your values look like?

·?????? If you could not embrace respect, would you be disrespectful to others?

·?????? If you could not demonstrate loyalty, would you be disloyal to your family, friends, and employer?

·?????? If you could not embrace honesty, would you lie and cheat your way through life?

·?????? If you could not model integrity, would you allow yourself to engage in inappropriate behavior?

·?????? If you could not work hard but are capable, would you be a slacker and have others pull your share?

·?????? If you could not be dedicated, would you go through life without a purpose and sense of meaning?

·?????? If you could not exercise commitment, would your word and handshake mean nothing in life’s transactions?

·?????? If you could not share, would you hoard and only take but never give of yourself?

·?????? If you would not help others, would you become consumed with satisfying yourself and your personal needs and give nothing back to society?

·?????? If you could not embrace compassion and caring for others, would you be so narcissistic that you thought only of your own comfort, wealth, power, and status?

·?????? If you could not assume personal responsibility for your actions, words, and deeds, would you go through life blaming everyone else for your shortcomings, failures, and mistakes?

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These are not the values of any one particular religion; instead, they represent universal values that frame how people should treat others and conduct their lives on this earth. These are the values that need to be reinforced in our schools, religious institutions, businesses, and government organizations, and generally throughout the core of our society.

??????????? I hope that the above descriptions put in context of how important values are in shaping our nation’s culture. They must be articulated and reinforced throughout our educational system, the business community, and public institutions to have a positive shaping effect on our culture and society.

Finally, I would like the president and members of Congress to consider what I call a national set of aspirations that are derived from our vision, operating principles, and core values. These are higher-level goals or results of our new national focus.

Potential List of National Aspirations

In our future society our vision, operating principles, and core values will allow us to

·??????????? Educate everyone

·??????????? Feed the hungry

·??????????? Help the poor

·??????????? Cure the sick

·??????????? Eliminate crime as we know it

·??????????? Establish values throughout the land

·??????????? Be guided by morality

·??????????? Be honest in all our dealings

·??????????? Fix the systems that serve our citizens

·??????????? Provide good jobs for everyone

·??????????? Raise our standard of living

·??????????? Become exceptional stewards of the environment

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We are a good nation but we can become a great nation where everyone can achieve their potential and is welcomed at the table of opportunity.

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Thank you for listening.

Peter Hughes

Dover, NH

[email protected]

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