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I continue to have hope...

Most days I am pretty confident that we will get through this pandemic, as a nation, as humanity, and as a world. There are moments in some days when I truly wonder if the cracks we are seeing, armed and belligerent protests against sensible rules to help keep the population safe; mixed messages from different agencies, states, our leaders, and our President; and conspiracy theories galore (I have seen some real cracked ones from both sides); are showing that our society and nation's foundations are beyond repair.
I don't think we are that far gone. Those protests are really a small number of people, not millions, not hundreds or tens of thousands, most seem to be hundreds or dozens showing up. With all the mixed messages, the vast majority (a poll I showed on Wednesday night) seem pretty clear that we want to follow the guidelines of the scientists and experts that we should not fully open, keep social distance, and wearing a mask is an act of love. And in spite of all the conspiracies and anxiety, most Americans are doing their jobs, loving their families, and watching out for their neighbors.
Any real repair of the foundation of our country will not be accomplished by violence or giving in to our reptilian brains filled with fear, flight or fight. It will not be accomplished by the collapse of the Democrats or Republicans and being rule by one party. It will not be accomplished by us ignoring this problem or our contribution to it. If we only rail against the other side, or believe that all politicians/government employees are irredeemably corrupt, or that there are some humans who don't deserve to live, we only weaken the foundation and what binds us.
It will be hard, but we can do it. We have to tune out the conspiracies. We have to put people first, not just those on our side, but all people. We have to remember and remind everyone else that what binds us together is so much stronger than what divides us. It can't be done overnight, but we can continue the work, seeing the cracks and responding in constructive, not destructive ways.
I continue to hope and have faith in our country, in each other, and, above all, in God who loves us and guides us.



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