Land of Lincoln

Whew, so glad the election is over ! I was getting so sick of the political ads and negativity. I've never seen the level of anger in the wake of an election like this year and it seems to increase with each election. I think that the word "compromise" has left most people's vocabulary, which is really sad. There is a need to always be right.....to never admit that you're wrong. I even see it in our young people. They have to win at any cost and their world shatters when they lose at something. Life is not about winning or losing but about enjoying yourself at whatever you're doing. If you try your best, that is all anyone can ask of you. Like the old saying goes: If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

John Renesch, a businessman turned futurist and author has this to say about why we are divided as a nation. "We are building silos of ideologies, isolating ourselves into factions, and preaching to our choirs about the faults and defects of “the other.” Each silo is suffering from “groupthink” – reinforcing its own dogma and avoiding any feedback that disagrees with the party line. At its worst, it is ideological bigotry. This subtle form of bigotry is being promoted by extremists who compete for attention. Unless it’s held in check, it could tear our nation’s social fabric. We’ve seen that happen in other countries, where ugly rhetoric eventually turns to violence." But there is hope...Renesch says, "Each of us can make a difference in our circles of influence with a simple yet profound rule for everyday communication: stop opposing what we don’t like, and start proposing what we would like.”

Stop listening to it; stop repeating it; stop encouraging this pattern of divisiveness. Instead of spouting our opinions and preaching to those in our silo, let’s reach out to those who have different viewpoints. Nothing will change unless we do." (excerpt reprinted from The Christian Science Monitor"

I feel that for those who feel it's better to stand on the sidelines and bitch about an issue or problem, get involved. Write your congress representative about the issues you feel strongly on. Go to town hall meetings with your representative and let your voice be heard.

This is the start of a new time, with many challenges ahead of us. It's time for all citizens to come together, roll up your sleeves and get in this together. Whatever happened to the old fashioned barn raising bees and such that used to take place ? Neighbor helping neighbor to better their community and help each other. We can't be tearing each other down if we want to get over the problems on the horizon and make a better life for ourselves and future generations. I am especially disgusted when I read comments that stand behind the coat tails of racism or religion to make their point. Our forefathers saw us as "one nation"...it's about time we acted as such.

Oh and the reason for the name of this post...Land of Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln served as the first candidate of the newly formed Republican party but he wouldn't even recognize his party if he were alive today. Lincoln was the first American President to sign federal tax into law. Yep, he invented income tax. And not only that but it was a progressive tax where the wealthiest Americans paid a higher rate. Sound familiar ? He made no distinction between earned income and capital gains...money made was money earned. He knew that our nation needed the revenue to pull our nation back from the brink of collapse.  It wasn't a popular decision but one that was necessary for our country. Sometimes there are lessons to be learned from history.