What is happening to the U.S.?

When did hatred become the common denominator of those playing political parlor games, and when did so many of the rest of us become willing participants in their strategy of propaganda wars?

How is it that we have allowed ourselves to buy into the lie that any neighbor is a default miscreant if they are anything other than our genetic clone?

One strike and you are out of the club!

Exhibition of the righteousness of a belief that has even coopted the stars and stripes from that of patriotism to proof of our individual irreproachable correctness. Wearing/flying the flag now absolves you from holding erroneous biases (or serves as a sales aid). For a people who so often refer to our Constitution as the basis of how our lives should be governed, we have become very inept in emulating the democratic doctrines that guided its founding.

I am weary of the press, internet and pundits persistent herding of us into distinct insoluble teams of red/blue or “conservatives”/”liberals.” We/They are should not be competitors. Disagreement is to be expected, but our profuse heated antagonism only widens the gulf.

There are so many admirable, non-self-serving people in the country that we continue to allow to be drowned out by the most arrogant, conceited, hateful and vindictive voices this world is capable of producing. We give them our ears and let them steal our souls, and we don’t even know we have made the trade until we catch ourselves parroting them.

Let’s show a little civility, people. We do not have to like everything that someone says or does, but surely we do not have to be abysmally intolerant of all that is not ideal.

Our red and blue, mixed together, is purple.

I would very much like to see more of it.

Gary Verst

Bowling Green