Have we lost our way?

I have refrained for some time now to post politically charged comments for reasons which need not be discussed in this post. That being said, events, news and commentary by others have coalesced to such a degree that I decided to speak out and determine if there is still an opportunity to elicit a semblance of sanity from our current cultural wars/ disputes. What am I referring to? Allow me to cite some examples. We have national politicians referring to blacks as "coloreds" while speaking on the floor of Congress. We listen to elected officials characterize individuals who hold opposing view as socialists, even in some instances advocating the hanging of individuals who hold diverging opinions. Parents and some school board members are advocating for censuring books and stripping longstanding curricula based on unfounded or biased beliefs systems. We have a society which has cast aside the fundamentals of critical thinking and is acting upon base instincts driven in large part by untruths, incomplete and erroneous belief systems, the consequence of which is a regression to tribalism and cultural warfare. We support candidates vying for leadership positions who deal in conspiracy, grifting and outright lies. We are no loner able to navigate competing opinions and policies without devolving into threats, personal attacks or character assassination. And who is leading the charge? Look to a failed human being and past President

What are we supposed to do about these negative trends? As a society some of us enthusiastically embrace this carnival atmosphere, while others roll their eyes, shake their heads and mutter that we are going to hell in a hand basket. Yet what comes next is perhaps the most troubling. Having expressed some frustrations, our attention is then diverted to more "important issues" like what's for dinner in the mistaken belief that everything that we are currently experiencing is some sort of aberration and will eventually go away and our society will self correct. Unfortunately, that is unlikely to occur unless those segments of our society, who have retained a sense of propriety, tolerance, honesty and judgement, speak out against the vocal minority which has been able to exert undo influence and command undeserved attention. It is a call for action that we must heed or we will pay the price.

Additionally, it requires as yet undemonstrated resolve by the news media to stop chasing outrageous public comments for the purpose of sensationalized coverage. It requires that cable news reinvents itself by recasting news anchors into real news anchors rather than opinion makers who are interested in advancing their own personal ambitions over fact. . It requires that a we, as the general public, vote for elected officials that are actually endowed with a reasonable amount of intelligence, can demonstrate some modicum of judgement and place the many needs of our nation ahead of their own future.

We all have a role to play in deterring our own destiny, which should include the recognition that we are interconnected as a nation, as a global citizen and as a member of the human race. Question is are we up to the role that each of us is destined to play. Are we leaders in deterring our fate or are we followers who fight each other for being the first over the cliff.