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Submitted by Rob Mitchell [Rutherford County Assessor of Property] –
America is facing more hatred and division today. Social media, which was supposed to bring people together, now pushes us apart. It makes people believe that anyone who disagrees with them is a threat or an enemy. That is not what our country was built on. For a brief time the attacks of September 11th reminded us of what we can be as a united nation.
Abraham Lincoln once warned that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” His words still matter today. Communities are split by politics. Anger and insults replace respectful conversation. Many people live in online bubbles where they only see views that match their own. This makes real disagreement feel dangerous. We forget that ideas are not the same as the people who hold them.
But there is a better way. America is at its best when guided by courage, kindness, and wisdom. Hate is not our future. We need leaders who are strong but also humble, and who put people above politics. Real leaders do not grow power by spreading fear. They tell hard truths, show respect to others, and remember that behind every policy is a person with hopes and struggles.
We also must be careful. Times of division often allow dishonest voices to rise. They call out to the meaner voices in our nature. Some promise unity but use lies to gain control. We should judge leaders by what they do, not just by what they say. Do they bring people together or tear them apart? Do they encourage kindness or stir up fear? Do they encourage hope or anger? Do they view issues as opportunities to resolve problems or as nails of dissent to be pounded into submission with anger and hate?
Still, the job of healing America does not belong to leaders alone. It begins with each of us, in our homes, schools, and workplaces. We can listen before we speak. We can try to understand instead of trying to win every argument. We can teach our children that disagreement is not hate, that compromise is not weakness, and that democracy lasts only when people work out their differences peacefully.
Right now, America, Tennessee and Rutherford County are at a turning point. One path leads to more division and anger. The other path leads to hope and healing. The world is watching to see if we can once again be a nation where people of different backgrounds come together to build something greater.
Compassion is a choice. Unity is a choice. The chance to be the America that inspires the world is still here, but only if we choose it together.
This comes from a Tennessean who believes that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference through simple acts of courage and kindness.
One Response
Yes.