Francis Scott Key - my ancestor and an incredible author in his own right... on September 14th, 1814, he wrote one of the most prolific pieces of poetry ever known to the United States - The Star Spangled Banner. The circumstances around which it was written were staggering, and even to this day, are a testament to the strength of the American spirit.
But what has happened to that spirit? What has happened to our people? There is more division than ever among the population, the generations, the "races", the religions, and even among the sexes. Why? What has brought such hatred spewing into our streets? Radicals against police, police against civilians, civilians against laws, laws against the people... where does it end.
A police officer gets shot, and you don't read about it in the paper, as though their life is worthless. But a criminal gets shot by a police officer- now that becomes front page news. A white man gets murdered, and you don't hear any outcry. A black man gets murdered, and half the country goes crazy. Racism exists when we allow it to... when we don't look past a pigment to the soul of a man or woman. Evil comes in every color, and so does good. Evil can wear a badge, but it can also hang in the hood and pack an unregistered illegal weapon. Would you want to trust your child to either one?
The good out there also wear badges, or go off to war. They also live in the hood, trying to protect their family from poverty-driven crimes and criminals, surviving paycheck to measly paycheck and living off a prayer. The best of men can wear rags or have riches, and so can the worst. You cannot judge a person of any color, creed, religion, country... based solely on the clothes they wear, the color of their skin or their occupation. Good and bad exist in all walks of life, and none are beyond their reach.
So how to we build new bridges to close the gaps that have formed? How do we rebuild the trust that has broken down on all sides of this equation? It certainly is not a simple answer, but one does actually exist. People just have to be willing to find it. To begin with, real dialogue, where people are willing to put their emotions aside and just talk... and listen to each other, has to begin. And they have to be willing to talk about the most important issues, listening to how each other feels about those issues and why. Then they have to be willing to start trying to help each other find ways to heal from the hurt they feel. It sounds easy, right?
Wrong...
This is probably one of the hardest things to ever accomplish in this country, and there are many reasons for that. Cultural differences make understanding where each other is coming from and the way each feels very difficult. And it isn't the only problem. Someone who grew up poor is not going to be understood by someone who grew up with money, and vice versa, because they each view the world through very different lenses. So how can we possibly bridge these gaps?
This is a question that every scholar, doctor, judge, politician, clergy, and even everyday people have been asking since the great divides began. And the solution is something that we each have in us, but no one knows how to apply, even though they themselves are aware of the depth of the problem. What is that root problem in all this? That is the only part of this that is easy to answer - true communication. The ability to actually convey what we are each thinking and feeling to each other in a way that is not only understood, but accepted as well. Now, knowing that communication is key does not mean we can solve this today, tomorrow, or even next year. The truth is, until we learn HOW to communicate effectively, the problem will never be solved.
For one thing, people spend so much time on their cell phones working for that next like or follow, that they often don't associate and communicate with their own families anymore. Family time, such as a game night, family dinners, walks in the park, or just spending quality time together, is not as common as it once was. And for older people, who remember what those days were like, it is like trying to chase the proverbial Unicorn only to forever get lost in the mist. In other words, it rarely happens anymore. The problem is that this causes communication to break down in the most important place of all - the family home. Next time you're at a dinner table with your loved ones, see how many are able to go the entire meal without picking up their cell phones at least once to check their messages, and you'll see what I mean. It has become more common than sliced bread.
The problem with technology isn't technology, it's that we as human beings have not yet figured out how to govern it instead of letting it govern us. We are lost in our own insecurities, always looking for the approval of our peers to see ourselves in a better light, and this leads to using that technology in unhealthy ways. What we need to do is to learn to put it aside and reevaluate what is truly important in our lives. A parent should not have to learn how valuable their child is only because that child has suddenly died. Love them while they're alive to know you do. Loving them after they're dead is pointless, because they can no longer hear you. Learn to put down your phones. Turn them off when you walk in your front door, and don't turn them on again until you are ready to walk out of it to head to work. Cell phones, headphones, game systems, computers... and many other technologies all have their place in our lives. But they should never REPLACE our lives. When your head is forever bent in your technology, and your ears are closed to everything else around you, you are missing out on the most important part of all - living your life.
America, wake up. Find your families again. Find yourselves. Find the love you have buried... for each other and for this country. Our guard is down, and if we do not raise again our shields to stand united against our enemies, they will walk in here and take our freedom without even the smallest of fights. Find what we all know is there.
Find America... the beautiful... the places, the history... the people. God bless us all.