Values: you have to be carefully taught

Why are we Americans so uncivil these days? What has happened to our values? When my candidate for presidents lost the election I was disappointed but I was brought up to believe that this person who would be our next president, even though not my choice, was chosen. Believing in the American democratic process, I made peace with this choice, recognizing that we are a disparate nation and we must move on. I revere the position of President of the United States, elected (most of the time!) by the people.

I am worried about this ugliness we see now in our nation, this strange meanness in our society. Where are the values of family and Christianity now? What are we thinking?

When I was a young child I would return from school and find my father in his disorganized study where he was writing a book. I'd jump into his lap, displacing the cat on his chest and he'd draw me a picture, read our book and we'd talk about the day. Later, as I grew up, his lap could not accommodate me, but we still talked.

My father was a devoted Christian and he made sure all his five kids were received in the church. We sang in the choir, were acolytes on Sunday, and we read the Bible. When I asked him, as a teenager, was Christ a communist, he took my question seriously and we had a long dialog going for many years. He was respectful of my questions, very strong in his intellectual way. He knew that he had given me the tools to think. He was a model for me of generosity and the necessity to examine all sides of a question. When I decided that Christianity was not for me, he accepted this.

I believe in democracy. The Constitution is so amazing it makes me cry with humility. I love the independent American spirit, and I believe we are like no other people on earth.

But, still, I am worried right now. I think we now have a president who truly wants to do the Right Thing. He wants to have universal health care so that all of us will be taken care of. Who could dispute this? And yet, we have the Republicans who monolithcally always vote NO, and have no better plan.

I think that we as a nation are very much on the wrong track. We need to get together to make this country work! Stop thinking of lining pockets of politicians (of both stripes), stop thinking of getting elected next time, just do the right thing for the people. Consider the issues. Think about the best values for all of us. Care for each other and stop the vituperation.