When We All Got Along

   I was out of ideas when it came to writing this column today. I decided to read some selections from the book 'Bob Schieffer's  America' to help get the creative thoughts flowing. The book is a series of ending thoughts that Schieffer used when he was moderator of Face The Nation, a political TV show. Since I was looking for ideas for Memorial Day, I read the section titled "War and Peace".
   Two things happened. One of them was that I remembered how much I like Bob Schieffer and his writing style. The other thing that struck me was that Americans used to get along with each other.
    Yes, at one point in time Americans worked together. It was World War II. The majority of people were doing something to help the war effort. Men, like my father-in-law, were fighting overseas. Men who were too old to fight, like my Grandpa Story, worked to keep things going at home. Men like my Grandpa Rinaldo, a farmer, were needed to grow food for the country and the troops. Women worked to help out as well. The country had a common goal and most worked toward that goal.
   Now I understand that this could be the nostalgic memory of an older man. I know about the citizens of Japanese heritage being forced into concentration camps. I know there was rampant racism and segregation going on.
  Still, many, maybe most, Americans of diverse backgrounds, income levels, countries of origin felt that the Nazis and their allies were a threat. They were going to do what they could to defeat them.
   Once the war was over the generosity of many United States citizens, helped those who had lost everything in the war. Churches of many denominations sent food, clothing and other supplies to those in desperate need. The nation got together and acted, again.
   Years have passed and those days are long gone. Instead of being the United States we are a group of little groups who mostly don't get along with the other little groups. We isolate ourselves with technology so we don't have to interact with anyone who isn't like us.
   When a big challenge comes up we cannot work together.
    I'll take school shootings as an example. They used to be isolated incidents, but now they have become so common when parents see their children off to school they must wonder if those children will come home that night safe.
   The only things we agree on is that children should be safe in schools. We can all agree that school shootings are a bad thing. That's the only thing we agree on.
    The solution to this challenge is a different story. There are those who want a ban on all guns. There are those who feel that the solution is more guns not less. Some want to arm teachers. Some want more regulations on guns. Some want the rules already in place to be followed more strictly. Some believe bullying is the root cause and should be addressed more vigorously. There are those who feel inadequate parenting is a factor.
   The problem is that many of these factions believe that their solution is the only solution and they tend to fight with those who advocate other solutions. When a group of students from Florida came together because they felt that nothing was being done to prevent school shootings, many of them were attacked on a personal level by those who disagree with them. Notable was a picture of a student ripping up a paper target altered to show the student ripping up a copy of the Constitution.
   This is ridiculous. There is no one pat solution that will keep children safe at school. The solution is for all these little factions to get together because they are all trying to solve the same challenge. We should look at bullying and mental health. We should look at home life and parents who seem to be disconnected from their children. We should see if the current laws keep guns out of the hands of those that would misuse them. Perhaps we should look at the possibility that there are guns that should be for military use only.
    There was a time when faced with a challenge, we came together as a nation. We resolved to prevail and we did. Citizens of this country can do amazing things when we work together.
    Then again, that was a long time ago, when we all got along.......

For Mr. Warren you are loved, you are missed.......