Is it just me or do Americans tend to "band together" during times of crisis? I recall, during the time immediately after 9-11, there was a surge of patriotism that bound us in a unified voice to vanquish our common foe. I miss those days. More appropriately, I miss the feeling that those days gave me.

When President John F. Kennedy was elected in 1960 he spoke to the enduring American Spirit when he said, "…we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, and oppose any foe in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty." Americans have always been resilient and extremely charitable toward their fellow man. Americans have always joined together for a common cause. Why are things so different during the time of COVID 19 in 2020?

Flash forward to today and we have people that will oppose your opinion with vicious rhetoric simply because you don't agree with their viewpoint. We all get lumped into a crowd because of someone we choose to follow or because of an opinion we choose to share. People are more judgmental these days and they are not shy about telling you exactly what they think. Hence, we resist telling people how we feel about a certain issue or we resist sharing our viewpoint. Today I want to say that I have a political viewpoint and I have friends and family whose beliefs range from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Given the time that we are in I believe that It's time we drop politics and opinion and reach for compromise to continue the hard work of defeating the issues that our society is facing. Are foreign governments trying to play a part in our elections? You Bet! They always have. They know that if they are able to pit one American against another American then it will be easier for them to defeat ALL Americans.

I remember some advice that I got upon my high school graduation from the patriarch of our family, which he shared as I was about to embark on "my own" life and begin making my own choices. Uncle Joe was an educated man and had influence over a great many people in his role as an Attorney and as a District Judge so, when he shared this advice with me, I took it to heart. Uncle Joe told me that I would make friends in college and throughout my career which, if I was lucky, would last me a lifetime. He told me that my new life would allow me to journey far from my home and from the environment in which I had grown up. I was told to cherish those relationships and nurture them but to always remember no matter what came to pass in my life, whether it was good or bad, I should always rely and trust my family because they know me and where I came from and they will always be there when I need them.

This sense of family is what Americans used to default to when we were faced with an existential crisis. We adopted the sense that there was strength in numbers and the resilience of the American Spirit was what would carry us triumphantly past the threat we were facing. Together we knew that we could overcome anything. This spirit is what we need today more than anything!

I don't care about your politics! You believe what you believe and support who you want because you believe that it is what is best for our country. I don't care about your ideology! I know what my faith tells me, and I will respect you for your personal beliefs. We can be friends until it's time for one, or both, of us to reach the next plane in which we believe. I don't care about your orientation! I only want you to be happy and live your life with a person whose significance elevates yours in a way that makes you happy. I don't care about your race! I stand by the content of your character and you are always welcome into my home or place of business.

What I do care about is our community! I want our businesses to succeed and I want more people to start businesses here. I want us to gather in Gough Park and dance and sing and share in a picnic potluck. I want us to be able to shake hands or hug when we greet one another and tell each other about a new store or shop that was opened that we need to try. And I want to feel happy, healthy and free once again.

Just for a little while I want us all to "pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, and oppose any foe in order to assure…" the survival of our beautiful Grant County community. I want us to look to the future with wonder about the great things that are possible and not to have to wonder whether, or not, we will make it.

Together Everybody Achieves More – TEAM! Let's work together and win! Mask Up and reclaim our wellness.