Disappointed...

I am so disappointed in our political system. I am disappointed with our country. I'm disheartened by the lack of intelligent conversation (not debate, necessarily) about the problems that plague our nation. I'm disgusted by the threats being made on the lives of our elected officials. Regardless of whether I think these people are vermin (many of them are) or how I feel about the whole health care situation and how it's being rammed forcibly down our throats, I'm disappointed that we can't do better than this.

We are a largely intelligent people. We communicate and create new ways of communicating (including this blog, all the technologies that make it possible, etc.) daily. And yet for all the tools and words at our disposal, we settle on the most barbaric of methods -- threats on individuals' lives, their families, their homes, etc.

This isn't an attack on any particular group. I don't care who is perpetrating these acts, whether it's a Tea Party or PETA. It's wrong. Out-shouting the person next to you doesn't make you right. It just makes you louder -- and in my case, less likely to be saying something of any value.

It's time to end the sophomoric prattling and sword-rattling; it's time to discuss, to decide a best path and to take action together.

It's time to end the us vs. them mentality; it's time to realize that compromising what we believe in is not the only way to move forward, to realize that it is possible to come together and find the best possible path for the common good.

People -- let's start being what we said we were -- "United States" -- with a common goal.

Take a look here -- what do these words mean to you?