A Boomer’s Journal

PART II:
Beginnings and Journeys,
We Always Get Through It

Tom Anselm

In the last installment for this space, talked about the history of how we got to where we are today. You can check it out on the website of Flovalleynews.com, just in case you missed it.
And so today, the focus is on where we are headed.
Nostradamus I ain’t, but I do have some ideas, based on hope and a strong confidence that we will come through this all better off as a nation.
We see divisions galore, politically, racially, socially, culturally. But then, isn’t this what the USA is all about. Has there ever been a time when we have all agreed? Even during the World Wars, there were many who thought we should not have been participants.
Woodrow Wilson was not a big fan of jumping into the fray in Europe in 1914. Pacifism had a strong voice. But there
was another contingent that said we needed to help out. Franklin Roosevelt, as some believe, wanted the U.S. to enter the Second World Mess across both ponds as a means to get the economy rolling and out of The Depression. But the country had no real taste for losing hundreds of thousands of boys again, just 20 years after the first foray into foreign fighting.
So even in world-wide crisis, we had differences. And remember that craziness where the country was literally split in two, North vs. South? Disagreements, yeah, we’ve had our share. But still, the beat went on. And on. We became the eaders of the free world, a place where nearly everybody wanted to get into for a chance to have rights and privileges and unlimited opportunities. Incredible economic and social advances… Hey, the place to be.
Now, today, we are again divided, nearly as much as any time in our history. Members of families avoid the topics so
as not to mar gatherings. Or not, and suffer the consequences of alienation. Make no mistake, it is big business to keep these differences fomenting. Just ask the cable ‘news’ networks. Think anyone would watch, and subsequently buy products advertised, if it weren’t for the guys and gals who call themselves objective journalists spouting off and raising a ruckus on the air 24/7/365?
I have caught both sides in exaggerations, misrepresentation, and outright lies, but they keep right on raking the muck, raking in the dough, and using “The American People” as their pawns. Keeping us divided for
their gain .
In the vastly popular musical “Hamilton”, the song states that ‘the world’s turned upside down.’ But it was righted, again. We always seem to get right-side up. However, I feel some changes are required this time, very serious changes.
I doubt there will ever be a time when all Americans agree on everything. But we can hope for a time when we can put aside some of the hatred, the vitriol, the insane positioning, the arguing about who is ‘woke’ and who isn’t, and simply listen to each other? Respect each other? Love each other?
I believe it is possible to make these thing happen.
We are a great nation, full of awesome people of all types and colors, creeds and origins. Still so full of incredible promise. Truly the Leaders of the Free World. I’m putting
my trust in The Big In-Charge Guy in the Sky to pull us through this tough time. And in us.