I value my right as a citizen, and as a woman, to play a part in how this country is run. I teach my children, even though they are still too young to understand, that it's important to be counted—even if they find themselves in the minority.
It's about taking a stand, and making a commitment, to be a part of the governmental process. The outcome may not always end in your favor, but that should never be an excuse for not being a part of the journey. However, after the shootings in Arizona, I am less and less enamored of that journey.
The killings in Tuscon, AZ—including the near-fatal wounding of Gabrielle Giffords—reminded me that the time we live in has become volatile. The hatred, the inability to accept the views of others, and the endless need to place blame on someone, anyone, for the mess that has been created seems to take precedence over finding solutions—and that's sad.
Jared Loughner—albeit disturbed—has become representative of where we're headed as a nation if we don't start to check our values at the gate. So many of us blindly follow the herd that we can no longer distinguish our personal beliefs from that of our favorite political figures.
We blindly follow them and all they say because we no longer remember how to lead for ourselves, and that's unacceptable. If you don't like the world you live in, do more to exact the change you want to see.
Don't spend your time pointing fingers and placing blame because, the truth is, no one is innocent of this mess we've brought upon ourselves. We have all played a part in this debacle and we all need to play an equal part in digging ourselves out.
Step away from the rhetoric and get back to the business of educating yourself and those around you—if they're willing to listen—about the real issues. Because, in the end, that's all that matters—everything else is just hot air.
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