Why Is Everyone So Angry?

The anger and hate in our country is palpable. It is really getting out of hand. Social media, tv/radio media and any media that allows you to connect with other people all have "wars" going on between people. Well, it has also invaded our news reporters and political leaders.

Two days ago, Donna Brazile, a fox news contributor and former head of the Democratic National Committee, exploded when responding to remarks from the Republican National Committee Chair, Ronna McDaniel. It felt like a situation where perhaps they had a "past" because of the "straight out of the box" hate. McDaniel had only postulated that the DNC was rigging the primary process against Bernie Sanders. To that, Donna Brazile boldly retorted to McDaniel, "Stay the hell out of our race," and "Ronna, go to hell." The commentators were noticeably shocked and surprised as Brazile continued her tirade with the vitriol but without any additional profane comments towards McDaniel.

Then yesterday, Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer took to the airwaves in front of the Supreme Court where they were hearing a case on abortion rights. Seemingly in a move that sounded like a threat he said, "I want to tell you Gorsuch. I want to tell you Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won't know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions," Today he apologized by saying "I'm from Brooklyn..." but he also said that he made a poor word choice. Of course anger will make you do that. But why so angry?

Why is there so much anger and hate in our country right now? The simplest and truest answer can only be, because everyone, i.e., the purveyors of such, thinks it's okay. Well it's not. The President has spoken hatefully to some and then they have often responded in kind and then you get MSNBC or CNN yelling at FoxNews and vice versa followed by Facebook or Twitter users grabbing and posting pre-made hate videos and links supporting their viewpoint and by then we're in full on crazy mode.

Solution: Concern bigger than the conflict and love greater than the hate.

I have a friend named Kym who lives in Atlanta. She is a "progressive." I would be considered a "conservative." We have some of the most contentious debates ever seen, but there is a line that we won't cross in our discussions/arguments and we would never demean one another publicly. Why? Because my concern for Kym is bigger than any conflict we could have and my love for her is greater than any hate I might have for her political position or something she would say, not to mention she makes this killer cake that I would miss out on if we were ever disconnected. But for real and in a nutshell, the solution here is the most typical answer for today's societal problems. "RELATIONSHIP."

Today, if you're feeling the anger that I talk about here, find somebody to love and spend more time with them than you spend with those with whom you have cultivated animosity on the pathway to hate. Or if circumstances preclude you from being with the one you love, as the old Isley Brothers hit use to say, "then love the one you're with." I disagree with the Democratic nominees talking about climate change being our most existential threat. "We" are our biggest threat and if we don't learn to live together, it won't matter how much the climate changes.