I sometimes look in the mirror and wonder who the old lady staring at me might be. I’ve definitely been around for awhile. I’ve done a lot and seen a lot in my many years on this earth. I’m mostly proud of what I have accomplished but the first to admit that I made mistakes along the way. Like most people I’ve been getting up everyday hoping to make a positive difference in the world but knowing that my reach is rather limited. I’ve had dreams that never came to fruition and enjoyed experiences that I never expected to happen. Life has a way of being routine until it isn’t and in those surprise moments things both good and bad have rocked my world.

Like my parents and the adults who had the most impact on me I am very much a live and let live kind of person. I cherish my faith but would not ever want to argue with others about theirs. Some things are very personal and none of anybody else’s business. Religious beliefs are quite private and sacred in my thinking. Each of us makes choices about what to believe or not believe and that is the way that it should be. I despise those who get pushy in the name of their chosen God. I am much more impressed with moral behaviors that lead me to want to know what has moved such people to be so good. 

The same has mostly been true about politics. I’ve voted in many different ways depending on how the winds were blowing at a certain time. I’ve never totally agreed with any politician but I have liked some more than others. For most of my life I had no idea how friends and members of my family were voting and I had no desire to find out. I was content to hold my own points of view and be assured that others had the ability to hold theirs. 

It has only been in recent times that I have found myself worrying about the stability of the Untied States. My biggest concern has been the concerted effort by the present administration to demand that all citizens comply with his thinking or face the consequences of not doing so. Never in all of my years have I felt so compelled to make my views clear and to push back against the efforts to control how Americans think and act. This flies in the face of my belief that each of us has the right and the liberty to be ourselves.

I’m not talking about breaking laws or doing harm to people or property. I simply mean that I am concerned about efforts to infuse a kind of national religion and political stance into our public spheres. I’ve read enough history to know that creating state supported beliefs leads to persecution of those whose values do not comply. In truth my religious beliefs are more than likely to be acceptable to those pushing Christian Nationalism but that is not the point for me. I don’t think it is healthy or desirable to ever in anyway bring force into the running of our government, our schools and our public places. It is crucial to respect the differing views of all people, not just a chosen few.

The same is true in the many restrictive laws that Congress is approving with glee that are totally unnecessary. They seem to be intended to restrict any kind of lifestyle that differs from what they consider to be normal. The problem with that is attempting to determine what is normal. As far as I am concerned I don’t care what anyone does in their private lives as long as it does not hurt others. I don’t think it is wise to create a puritanical worldview as a way of controlling Americans. My experience as an educator warns me that invoking too many restrictive rules always leads to revolt even in a classroom. Long ago a very wise principal taught me that when there are too many rules with too many strict consequences chaos ensues. Boy was she right!

It’s time for our nation to refocus on issues that are important, not the pet projects of a single party. We can’t afford to be going back and forth with laws and rules that in reality accomplish little other than pleasing certain people or groups. It’s time to look at the big picture and the huge tent of many varieties of thinking and believing. It’s time we find ways to come together, not by force but by the desire to live together in harmony without degrading or ranking each other. 

I long for the days when I was only mildly irritated by laws that seemed unnecessary. I wish for a return to calmness in our political arena. It is time for cooler heads to lead the way by understanding that thuggish attempts to force ways of living on one another never ever results in peace on earth and goodwill toward men. It’s time we all understood that law and order comes naturally when we all agree to let me be me and you be you.