My article yesterday was to our friends in Canada. I received a message of thanks from someone and she added this at the end of the message:
“…..the leaders of our three parties shared public hugs and well wishes(in our current government, this is totally rare- they’re usually verbally fighting)….”
As we get closer to our election day in America; I’m compelled to write the following:
Dear Elected Officials;
Do you remember?
Do you remember the horror on the faces; the many lives that were lost, the incredible fear, and the many speeches you all gave?
Do you remember?
When so many lives perished in three separate locations thirteen years ago on 9/11 and the speeches you gave were of resolve, hope, and that partisan-ship was gone and we were one. Being “American” trumped everything else. Do you remember?
In New York, I saw it first hand. Perhaps you did too. Perhaps you were not actually at any of the sites to witness it, but you surely felt it from your constituency as you heard stories of pain and loss. I saw it first hand and so did many others, we will never forget–but do you remember?
Every one of you; EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU who held an elected office JUMPED on the bandwagon and trumped the cause of “being American above all else” in speech after speech after speech. We remember, do you?
As I watched the compassion in Canada ‘the day’ after; I saw their elected officials acting as we once did. Politics aside—–they are all Canadian. I’m sure you watched too……but…..do you remember? You in presently elected offices made me think, as I watched, but how long will that last? Will they be just like us? How long before that feeling diminishes.
And I became sad.
DO you remember enough to, at least, try to treat the office you hold as if it were the gift that the people of this country entrusted with you? Any elected position from the smallest capacity to the President of the United States; do you remember a time when YOU PROMISED US that you would work hard to make sure the American Spirit would not be lost to terrorism? There was an US in USA. Remember?
As I presently witness the incredible negativism in this year’s elections, local as they may be, and I see the absolute attack on every personal aspect of opposing candidates; I find myself asking the question as I do when I see the disclaimers after a TV ad about a medication; “….why would ANYBODY want that?”
This year, if I listened and acted on what I heard you all say about each other—why would I want….any of that? All the way to our Nation’s Capitol, if someone says X—–Y is screamed louder—–only to make the voices behind X get louder still. The negativism, the pointing of fingers, the vile, the lies, the shouting, the hatred, and the jockeying to obtain ‘the power’ is truly sickening. It was not supposed to be about power…it was about representing…….us!
It was wonderful to see the hugging and honest emotion as I watched Canada’s elected officials yesterday. It made me wonder about what the thousands and thousands of Americans who lost their lives thirteen years ago, and also lost their lives ‘going back into war’, would say if they could speak about the behavior you all show now; as oppose to what was shown immediately after that horrific day. You promised us…..and more importantly……..you promised them.
Do you remember?
Sincerely,
I am a diabetes dad.
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