We The People

My wish for the world is that we can find peace and begin to heal the rift that is tearing our country apart. I struggle to make sense of how things have gone so horribly wrong; and in that process, I may voice my concerns and question why certain things have happened. If I didn’t love America and ALL the people in it, I wouldn’t be so passionate about this subject. I don’t want anyone to be hurt or offended. I want every adult and child to feel safe, whether they’re in their homes, at their jobs, attending church (or not), out shopping, walking down the street, or at school. I want the hate to go away and I want people to stop pointing fingers of blame at each other.

That being said, one question still remains: “How do we fix this mess?”

What Is Our Legacy?

In the wake of the elections and heated emotions on both sides, I've asked myself so many times how we could be so polarized as a nation. I'm sure people on both sides of the fence believe they're right and the others are wrong. Putting all of the political differences aside, there's probably some very important questions we should all be asking ourselves, no matter which side we take:

Will History Repeat Itself?

Since the electoral college ignored the will of the people and handed Trump the oval office, those who opposed his candidacy are being told to be tolerant, to move forward, to “get over it.” Americans, we cannot afford to look the other way and adopt a “wait and see” strategy. Now is not the time for indifference or complacency; we have far too much at stake to be quiet. It is a time to rise up in peaceful protest and make our voices heard.

Don't Judge My Safety Pin

My words are my gift. What I have to offer is my voice and I will not be silenced. It may not seem like enough to some people, but it's how I can make a difference. I show up in other ways when I am able, but I always speak up and I will always speak out to right a wrong. I may not be able to change the world, but I might change one life, one person, one feeling, one moment.

Lady Liberty Weeps

Today, millions of people mourn the death of a great nation. Sadness and anger flood social media as Americans wake up to find their nightmare has just begun. Donald Trump has won the presidential election and, in the process, has provoked citizens to turn against each other. His campaign has given validation to every hate group in the country. He has personally sanctioned the ugliest side of human nature to raise its fists against anyone deemed inferior. Lady Liberty weeps for her people as the Confederate flag flies with misguided patriotism and pride over the south.

A Fearful Nation

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” So said the Jedi Master Yoda in the 1999 movie, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Wise words for a short, green fictional character.

Ever since the 911 attacks, Americans have turned their lives inside out with fear, much like they did in the 1950s. Just substitute “communist” with “terrorist” and it’s the same hysteria. We live in fear of terrorists. Fear of guns. Fear of Muslims. Fear of using the wrong bathroom. Fear of breastfeeding in public. We have become a country of scared little sheep, suspicious of anything and everyone who’s different.

The Brink of Disaster

What if your right to vote was taken away from you? How about your right to decide how many children to have? How would you feel if all the progress you’ve made throughout the course of your life had been stripped away and invalidated? What if it was okay for people to treat others with disrespect, to sexually assault someone, or to advocate racial segregation and deportation? Would you be okay with that?

What if that was just the beginning? What if we didn’t just send our sons off to foreign countries to fight wars? How would you feel if those countries brought their wars to our shores? What if you were so busy waving your flag on the Trump bandwagon that you couldn’t see the train wreck waiting for all of us around the corner? Would you dismiss someone if they told you it was coming?

How Not To Pitch To An Agent

Last weekend, I attended the 2016 Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers conference in Denver with my friend and fellow indie author, Melissa Stacy. To say this was an eye-opening event would be an understatement. It was a great learning experience, though, and I’m already planning to attend next year’s conference. However, I’ll be better prepared for that one.

A Life Undone

Life makes no promises, except that it will one day end. No details are etched in stone. Nothing is certain, not even how or when we meet our demise. We know only that it will eventually happen. Everything from the moment of our birth until that day is as much a mystery as why we’re here in the first place.