Sorrow is not a strong enough word to describe how we feel about what is being lost in our country on a daily basis.

We ask how can a country that was built on the name and reputation of the United States become so unraveled. It is becoming clearer and clearer that we are not united, that we are divided in our souls, and it is apparent that some people want it that way.

The question is will “they” win? Will hate win over love and acceptance? And do you care?

When we look back at the 1930’s, when hate went to war, the United States was there to stop Hitler, the rise of demagoguery, and those who supported it. So, we ask, who is there for us today? Who is there to rescue us from ourselves? Is the red cap the new white hood?

We go on to ask, where did your Grandmother and Grandfather come from? Unless they were American Indians, your family and culture did not originate in this United States. The question is not where are you from but where are you going. 

If you have been watching and listening, you may believe that the second civil war of this country has, unfortunately, begun. It was silent and slow at first and is now revving up, evil and determined. It is feeding off of fear, targeting individuals, groups and cultures, and the laws as they are written. Some people seem above the law while others who are within the law can’t get a fair break.

The 1960’s gave us the civil rights, anti-Vietnam, women’s, gay rights and environmental movements. The protests of the 1960’s provided a voice. It gave us music to unite us, college campuses that cultivated free thinking, and politicians who had the courage to ask the hard questions. This set the tone that carried on to the National Mall in Washington, DC where peaceful marches and protests took place as the White House listened and looked on. Back then, the people gained a voice, took a stance, and with hard work, things started to change.

Now as hate symbols and white supremacy continue to rise, we seem to be there again.

So, we ask, where will we find our voice?

Will we look to our elected officials, college campuses, mothers against hate, or young Americans against gun violence? We must find our voice so that we do not succumb to the turmoil and the uprooting of the very fabric and soul of our democracy.

We must dig deep and unite as individuals who come together to:

• Be Kind
• Have Courage
• Ask the Hard Questions
• Set the Tone
• Inspire
• and Be the Change

Let us learn from the unrest of the 1930’s and 1960’s; from the 60’s “whites only” lunch counter that started a movement to the marches that joined us together in one voice and to Woodstock that 50 years ago celebrated Peace and Love. Let’s not allow our roots of democracy to be taken from our hands and from our very essence of being.