Already there is a frenzy of media activity after yesterday’s tragic assassination attempt of Mr. Trump. I was, as in any violent attempt on a life, horrified, saddened and oh so very tired of it all. To say we are simply a divided country is probably the biggest understatement of, well, ever. I have already heard cries of vilification of the left as a mechanism of evil that justifies blame and hatred, (as I also heard vilification of the right, when Mr. Pelosi was attacked in his home). I have heard claims of God singly protecting Mr. Trump as validation of why he should win the presidency. What does it say to those who have fallen victim to gun violence and not survived? Does God love them any less because they did not survive and a murderer was successful? Are you really saying that God circumvented our free will in this one instance? So I offer a word of caution and care as we move forward in such troubled times. I am aware of callous comments made in other gun violence situations, for example, Sandy Hook elementary and Margery Stoneman Douglas Highschool being called a hoax, or a mechanism to impede second amendment rights, or the difficulty the Uvalde school community finding answers when that tragedy happened. There are too many examples of tragic deaths by guns to count. Violence is never good, why can’t we all at simply agree on that. We are a country with a rage problem. And, especially my fellow Americans, it is never someone else’s problem, especially if further rhetoric is used as a mechanism to root ourselves deeper into personal bias…then we do share the blame. Gun violence has become too prevalent lately as an expression of the deep anger, blame and hatred of the “other” in our lives, and it is with courage and strength of character that we must move forward, together to face the great divide that exists between all of us . We have to be able to talk reasonably about the violence issue in this country.

Being hopeful does not mean that one side only deserves to “win”, whether its an argument or an election, it can’t. Living in hope, means that we first put to practice the tenets of what this country is founded upon, that ALL PEOPLE are created equal and deserve a life of liberty and happiness. Secondly, as people of faith, or simply as a representation of thousands of years of developed civilized behavior, we must live according to those principles and work out our differences without the incivility, judgement and corruption that plagues us. As an ordinary woman, I may not make much of a ripple, but I do know when I act in a way that works against my principles, I am to blame for the wave of energy that moves outward and feel horrible for it. That isn’t to say that we can’t be angry about what is going on in our world, but it is the “how” we put that energy into action that counts. Living in hope means that even amidst all the turmoil we can all radiate hope for a greater future. We all have the necessary skills to do so, it just takes discipline and commitment to move forward together, and also believe in and fight for justice and the greater good, while still holding those accountable for actions taken against those principles. America has risen up from division before, and I will live in the hope we can do it again.