The Fourth of July recently passed where America celebrated 242 years of independence. I have always been proud to be an American, but recently with many of the decisions made by this current administration, it gets more and more challenging. I don’t often get too political in my articles and my conversation centers more on how to love and forgive others. But I feel that as much as we need to forgive, we also need to stand up and speak out about our core values and in what we believe. Don’t get me wrong; I’m still proud of my heritage, but America is declining in terms of respect on the world platform. What will it take for us to rebuild and not just “make America great again,” but to finally make America the country it should be?
With the work I do and my personal passion for traveling, I’ve had the opportunity to travel across the country and it is evident that there’s a growing lack of unity among the people and a rise in (the acceptance of) racism. Globally (from Germany and the UK to many others), leaders and civilians alike lack respect for our current administration and they even consider America a laughing stock. Presently, if you Google the word “idiot,” pictures of Trump appear. How low can we go? I know everyone has their faults and politically no administration is perfect, but it is imperative that our leadership operates with integrity and in what is best for all the people they serve. World Affairs, Foreign Policy, Free Trade Agreements and so much more are being threatened. What has taken years to build is being torn down in a moment’s notice.
I personally felt safer and prouder as an American under President Barack Obama’s administration and not because he was African American, but because I believe he truly cared about making America a great nation, as well as showing compassion and building strong alliances and relationships with people around the world. I believed if he said something, he meant it and he would stand behind it. When someone lies all the time and lacks integrity it is very hard to put your trust in them. When their main form of communication is through tweeting, how seriously can you take them? When the president is accused of (possibly) committing treason after his trip to Helsinki to meet with Putin, what’s next? Where’s the loyalty to one’s own country?
So how did we go from an Obama Nation to an Abomination? I think it is because many of us became complacent and took our eyes off the ball. Although there were things that weren’t perfect, there was a lot of good that came out of the Obama Administration and we thought it would stay that way. Furthermore, there were people that never thought Trump would become the next president, but many stayed home and didn’t go out to the polls and vote otherwise. In 2008, the Obama campaign slogan was, “Change we can believe in” and in 2012 it shifted to the word “Forward.” If we want change in this country again we must all make our voices heard. We must stay woke and make sure we continue to help get people registered to vote and encourage everyone to vote in all elections. We’ve been here before and we came through. As the great-granddaughter of the first generation born free in our family and the granddaughter of the first person able to to vote, I am committed to do all I can to make the world a better place for my children and my children’s children.
Healing Without Hate: It’s a choice. It’s a lifestyle. Pass it on!
Visit www.WendyEnterprises.com and www.forgivingforliving.org. Wendy is a coach, consultant and speaker. You may email her at [email protected].
