This country no longer feels like home to so many who love instead of hate and create instead of destroy. There was a story in the Washington Post the other day that stirred a lot of conflicted feelings in me, “Americans Adrift.” The story was about Americans leaving the country because they could not take the hate and anger anymore.

My reaction after reading this story was I want to live in a more civilized place too, but I want that civilized place to be this country. Sadly, anger and hate seem to have become one of our most successful exports. I want to do what I can to take us back from the brink of hate. Since politically manufactured divisions have fanned these flames of hate, maybe there’s something we can do politically to stop those who are stirring the cauldron of  hate and hopelessness for political gain? We the people have to say were are not going to listen to it any more and take the profit out of hate.

I am confident hate driven politics will not darken this country’s heart forever as long as we regard those in need with understanding instead of frustration… an open hand instead of a closed fist… and as long as all of us make our voices heard… Only a little more than half of us voted in the last election. What’s up with that? Most developed countries have a voter turn out of 70% to 90%.

As Americans we should not give up. We should vote, we should lobby, we should rally, we should march, and above all else, we should never lose hope. I am not being all wide-eyed, let’s hold hands, and sing kumbaya here. I am dead serious. If we lose hope then all hope is lost.