To say I am a tv junkie, would be an understatement. When my parents brought in the first black & white television home, I was sitting right there. Cartoon shows galore; along with action heroes and adventure shows. And of course, comedies!
But there was time, when the tv showed events that were not funny. Winter storms, and hurricanes, and the damage they wrought! Then there was the assassination of a President; the killing of a civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. A bloody war in an Asian country. The death of another Kennedy; shot by a gunman. Riots, protesters, violence, all shown on the glowing tube.
But nothing prepared me for the sight of rioters charging up the steps of the. Capital Building! What was even more disconcerting, was the number of watchers who were supporting the rioters, egging them on! People were in danger of losing their lives! People were injured! People died! Yet, there were politicians and pundits trying to make political gain out of this violence!
Now is the time for a deep introspection of us as a country. Why are so many people so intensely suspicious of government, politicians, contrary news reports coming over cable and the web! The country appears to be tearing itself apart! Why!
There will be different answers, coming from different sources, to this question. But at the very least there has to be a frank and honest dialogue between citizens. An openness to at least try to hear what the other side is saying; and what circumstances are driving it. If we cannot agree on what concerns have validity; what we can address and come to mutual agreed upon solutions; the country is in real trouble.
As a Catholic Christian, I firmly believe in the teaching that we are called on to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. To come together as a people; this is the great challenge we have always had as a nation. This is a challenge we may or may not be able to meet; but we must try. “…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” From Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg Address.
n of Donald Trump. It has always been my belief that there was always a chance that he would win. News analysts have pointed out several factors that contributed to his victory. First, he spoke to blue-collar workers in those states that make up the”Rust Belt.” These are those voters who felt left behind during the country’s economic recovery. They felt ignored by federal government; by the Democratic Party, which originally was their party. They now see it, and the government as supporting Big Business; and immigrants. They claim to not recognize the country they live in; and they were mad as heck! They were looking for anti-political establishment figure, and found him in Donald Trump. The irony is that it was these same blue collar workers who helped to elect Bill Clinton to the Presidency. Reports are out there that he told Hilary’s campaign staff not to ignore the workers in states, like Michigan, but he was ignored. There were other factors also that contributed to Clinton’s defeat; she just had too much baggage, from her e-mails, to her cozy relationship with the Wall Street establishment; a lot of people just could get excited about her enough to go out and 
vote for her.
Musings From St. Anthony's Walnut Tree 