Sunday morning began as usual with coffee brewing at 7 am, the paper waiting to be read, and the morning news streaming from the small television in the kitchen. 

As I poured my coffee, I listened to the headlines; a major earthquake and aftershocks rocked California, Iran possibly violated a nuclear deal and the immigration crisis continues at our borders and detention centers.

While my eyes were focused on my waffle in the toaster, I couldn’t help hearing how quickly the news anchors turned their vitally important lead stories to politics and discord. I found it disturbing how much time was spent discussing Joe Biden’s apology for his actions during the confirmation hearings of Judge Clarence Thomas 28 years ago. They opined endlessly over the controversial use of our 243-year-old Betsy Ross American flag’s depiction on a pair of sneakers. And, of course, then the invited opposing members of Congress put forth their two cents worth of comments. 

 I know these are important issues to many, but should they overshadow an earthquake, major immigration problems and a prospect of nuclear war? Shouldn’t Congress be working on these pressing current problems instead of political posturing? Shouldn’t the airways be filled with pertinent information and facts about these significant concerns? 

Members of Congress should pay more attention to their citizen’s needs and desires instead of their desire for more power in government.  Have you noticed during a political debate how no one discusses the issues that are important to all citizens of every race and gender, but rather assign blame to another to knock their competition down in the polls? My suggestion for Congress is to get to work and work together for the good of all who call America home. Should we keep paying their salary if they can’t?   

Why do we get so derailed with political correctness and party politics that we lose the real headlines in our lives? We often get so focused on our societies past failures that we lose sight of our future. Do we not have more urgent issues in America right now than assigning blame?

All of us, including our government, should perhaps turn our attention and funds to help those in California confronting a current disaster or folks who have lost homes and businesses across our land due to recent severe weather.  Or maybe broadcasts news should take their political rhetoric out of the studio and go to the migrant shelters to investigate their actual conditions and factually report what they find. Perhaps all of us should join hands and pray that Iran keeps their nuclear arsenal in check along with North Korea or none of our problems will matter. 

Folks, I hate to shock the world with this fact, but we can’t change history. However, America always can create change for a better tomorrow. 

Was Betsy Ross representing an uncivil America in 1776? Possibly, but without those soldiers who fought for our freedom then, there would be no America today. We grew into our constitution for equal rights, and we are still growing, still amending, still learning because we have the freedom ascertained by those early residents of this land to do so.

Yes, it is our right to protest, pitch a fit and say anything we please because of those who were brave enough to come to this land and establish a constitution which provides us the right to tweet, sit, stand, protest and pray. 

Sometimes, I feel as if the quiet American citizen who rises on Sunday morning, grabs a coffee, goes to church, works hard on Mondays, takes their kids to soccer or dance practice during the week, is getting lost in a world of political chaos. They are neither far left nor far right, can see two sides to an argument and want what is best for all their fellow citizens. They want compromise built upon intellectual and common sense principles. However, lately, I witness so many turning to the swamp of anger, alienation and division because they feel there is nowhere else to turn. And that my friends, is sad. 

Most of us dread the next presidential election. It is already a nasty political landscape which has filtered down from Washington to backyards everywhere. The only way I know to stop the swamp from overtaking our lives is for those who have remained silent in America to wake up on an unusual Sunday morning and let your voices be heard over the talking heads, the shouts of discord from the quagmire and demand honor and honesty return to the American political and media landscape.

Then, perhaps, we can all drink our coffee in peace.