TIME TO RECALL THAT THERE IS MUCH THAT STILL UNITES US

Our national body politic has gotten way out of shape.  Whether it’s a diet from the frenzied, social-media driven 24/7 news cycle, or more responsible exercise of our civic responsibilities, the country needs to take steps to become healthier than it is today.  July 4th is a great time to take a giant step back from perpetual partisan sniping and remember that there are many things that all Americans have in common.  We want to live in good, safe communities.  We want our families to flourish.  We want the freedom to go about our daily lives without being assaulted, verbally or otherwise.  Most of us are also kind to children, the weak, and animals.  Benjamin Franklin was once asked what form of government the United States was going to have.  He reportedly responded, “A Republic, if you can keep it.”  We have a great responsibility to act appropriately in our public and private lives to ensure that we keep what Franklin and his contemporaries gave us.  Let’s all remember that as we move forward and do our part to lessen the coarseness of our public discourse.