We are all Americans

Republican? Democrat? Libertarian? Green Party? Tea Party? Independent? Conservative? Liberal? Pro-Life? Pro-Choice? Gay Rights? Gay Sin? Feminist? Values Voter? Religious Right? Neo-Con? Lower Class? Middle Class? Rich? Environmentalist? Blue Collar? White Collar? White? Black? Hispanic? “Other”? Catholic? Protestant? Jewish? Muslim? Atheist? Senior Citizen? Gen-X? Baby Boomer?

We Americans sure like to slap labels on things. Even on ourselves. Labels that try to box us in, pin us down, make us choose sides, define us, divide us, weaken us.

If I’m a ”Liberal” and you are a “Conservative” does that mean one of us wants America to be great and the other wants America to fail? Doesn’t a “Libertarian” or an “Independent” swell with pride when the Stars and Stripes are unfurled and “The Star Spangled Banner” is sung? Didn’t “Gay Rights” activists, “Pro-Life” proponents, “Feminists”, and “Neo-Cons” all hold hands and weep on 9/11? When victims of hurricane Katrina were being plucked from the water and rescued from the roof tops of their homes, did anyone ask how they voted? Did my “label” make me root any less for Michael Phelps as he swam for his 8th gold in Beijing? When hundreds of ordinary citizens stood shoulder to shoulder stacking sandbags against the rising waters of the Mississippi, when ordinary families opened their doors to strangers made homeless by disasters, when rescue workers dug through the rubble at ground zero, did anyone care about the politics, the sexual orientation or even the religion of those they were rescuing or those who were rescuing them?

For a people famous world wide for our diversity, full of pride for our country, who can come together in emergency or disaster, we sure spend a lot of time and energy trying to highlight our differences. Trying to find ways to disagree, issues to fight about, sides to take, a battle to fight, reasons to be offended or outraged. Politicians can manipulate us like marionettes just buy pulling on the strings of our differences. In political speeches we hear talk about “fighting the fight”, rather than finding the compromise. “Fight with me” instead of work together.

If we can rise up as a united people to fight a revolution, to stop Hitler, to put a man on the moon, to protect each others homes from a wild fire, or to dig for survivors at the World Trade Center, then can’t we work together to fix our economy, to end our dependence on foreign oil and to take our country back from political corruption and partisanship? Don’t all of us want to see Washington run by the people instead of the money? Aren’t we all seeking safety and security for our families? Is there any of us who want to see children without medical care, teenage girls pregnant, babies born with AIDS or addicted to crack? We All want jobs, health insurance, security, world peace, an end to hunger and disease and an education for our children. None of us want to see a world with no trees, flowers, or animals. We all want to breath clean air, have clean rivers and lakes and see wild animals. And we all want to see America continue to be the greatest nation on earth.

Can’t we as Americans, the inheritors of the greatest, richest and most generous country in the world, find a way to fix the things we all want before we fight over the areas where we disagree? Where did we come up with the concept that we have to “win” and make things the way we think they should be instead of finding a MIDDLE GROUND that is a combination and a compromise on what we all want? When did we start deciding we have to support everything a certain party stands for? When did having different opinions make us enemies? A wise man once said “if, in a relationship, two people think exactly alike on every issue, one of them isn’t necessary”.

Most who know me would probably call me a “Liberal”. I at times refer to myself with that label. When in fact many of my beliefs would cause many “Liberals” to label me “Conservative”. Does that make me a “Moderate” or just an American. Many of my oldest and dearest friends call themselves “Conservatives” yet I know when we were younger we all had similar dreams and goals. On the other hand I have been ostracized and attacked by “friends” and even disowned by family members simply for having different opinions.

We are now at a time in our nation when we have great need for us to come together as a people. We face many immediate, difficult, and perilous challenges that must be resolved soon if we are to survive as a great nation. The rest of the world looks to us for hope, guidance, innovation and leadership. Let’s refuse to be weakened by our differences but rather strengthened by our diversity. Let us resist being divided by our disagreements but be united by our common goals, dreams and desires. Let’s not fight over what we should be but celebrate what we are. A nation of diverse ethnicity, free to speak what we believe while respecting those who believe differently. A people who embrace those who are different, who believe different and who think different as an opportunity to learn, to think and to grow.

Let’s unite now to let our politicians know we are serious about change. There are some serious problems that need to be addressed. It’s time to chase corruption out of Washington! It’s time for our legislators to learn to compromise and get something done! Our nation should be number one in education, number one in innovation. We should lead the way to clean, renewable and sustainable energy that doesn’t put money in terrorists pockets. We should be leading the fight against AIDS and other devastating diseases in the world. We should show the world that differences can be settled without guns and bombs. America should be setting the standards that the rest of the world look up and aspire to. Let’s let our leaders know on both sides of the isle that if they don’t learn to work together, we’ll fire them all and start over. Let’s make sure America is still the greatest nation in the world for our children and our grandchildren.

Let’s start now.