Maybe politics has always been the way it is now.
Belittle the other to make yourself look good.
Tell those who are nervous why they should be afraid instead of just nervous.
Stir up anger towards those who look different or act different or think differently.
All of which tears down and tears apart.
And, these are the people who carry the title and the responsibility of being leaders.
Meanwhile, where I live…
And, probably where you live, too…
We get up in the morning and go to work.
And, work side by side with people who may or may not look like us or believe what we believe or share our particular point of view, but we do our best just as they do their best to perform whatever work it is we have the responsibility to do. Then we go home and go to meetings and go to church and attend our children’s sporting events. We cheer for our children, and for theirs as well. We volunteer at our schools so that our children, and theirs, have the supplies and support and opportunities they need in order to succeed.
We don’t always agree.
But, in most places most of the time, we figure out how to make our communities work.
And, our schools work.
And, our places of worship work.
But, the more leaders tear at the fabric which holds us together;
The more anger and fear that gets added to the mix;
The harder it is for the rest of us.
Those of us who get up each day and go to work.
To do our part to help hold our communities together.