American Discord...Just a Southern Girl's Thoughts on the Virginia Shooting

After watching the horrible events unfold this morning, I can no longer be silent. I am not one to publicly debate politics or religion, and this post is about neither. Our country has been in discord for quite some time and seemingly, only getting worse. Now, you can blame Obama for that, or Trump, or Republicans, or Democrats, or global warming, or gay rights, or any number of hot political issues right now.

However, in my opinion, the blame can not be shouldered by an individual or a cause alone. But the blame should not be our focus here. The focus should be a solution to this discord.

In our great democracy, as citizens, we go to the polls and vote for the candidate who best represents our views and personal morals. Sometimes our favored candidate wins, sometimes they lose. But that act, in itself, is how our voices are heard. The men and women, whom are elected into our political arena, are all there because a voice was heard. Yes, there are different platforms, policies, failed campaign promises, and successful ones but they all, each and every one of them, represent the American people. ALL OF US. Americans.

Paul Ryan was correct in that "An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us." Diversity is what makes this country so great. We have diverse people, opinions, and ways of life. And I would never want that diversity to be diminished. But we need to respect each other as Americans. Respect each other as fellow human beings. Stop the hateful constant  bashing of others simply because their views do not align with yours. When your opinion becomes so hate filled that you entertain the idea that violence, destruction, or death to another individual or group of individuals, it is no longer an opinion. It is a threat. And it needs to stop.

I pray that through this tragedy, we can become united in our nation, in our states, and in our communities. I pray for the safety of our leaders, all of them, not just the ones I voted for. I pray for each fellow American, that pride and allegiance returns and fills our hearts with compassion for one another.  After all, we are the United States of America, may we never forget that.