Can't We All Just Get Along?

Before I start my usual Sunday morning "Honey-dos"  my day starts with a cup of coffee and listening to Meet The Press on NBC.  For those who don't watch TV, that's a show where talking heads talk about what other talking heads talk about when it comes to politics.  As you can probably guess from previous posts, I enjoy discussions centered around politics and have some extreme views along with some populists views as well.  And that is exactly my point.  I titled this post with the quote with what Rodney King said after the Los Angeles riots many years ago.  His beating by police sparked those riots even though the pressure of unemployment and sagging economy had taken years to reach that boil over point.  I don't think there is an American out there that is not concerned about the state of our economy and even more so about our politics.  Even if some of us are living large and happy where we are on the socio-economic scale we have compassion for those less fortunate.  But how in the name of all that is sacred to us as a civilized society can we not condemn the words coming out of certain Republican canditates' mouths.  Actually, I'm not as upset about the comments of Rick Perry or Ron Paul as I am of the audience response.  It reminds me of the movie Roller Ball where the crowd cheers the death of a competitor.  I see our country being torn apart not by wars, invasions or natural disasters but by the callousness so many people have toward each other.  It seems to me we are more polarized than any time in my memory, certainly than more than the Vietnam Era even without the flag burning and the protest marches.  We have become a mean spirited people. an intolerant people, an uncooperative people and a disrespectful people.  My blood boils when I hear the rhetoric coming out of both sides of the aisle berating each other and large segments of the American people.  What happened to "no negative ads"?  What happened to the "compassionate conservative"?  What happened to "Do unto others as you would have done to you."?  I know in times of national and even regional tragedy we rally to each others aid.  But, we need to extend that mentality throughout the year in our everyday lives or we risk escalating the class war we are now facing.  I had a speech teacher when I was in college tell me "When we don't vote or participate in the political process, we get what we deserve."  I took that to heart as my usual tack, to the extreme sometimes.  I think we need to step back from our frustrations and recognize that we are in danger of losing what makes us Americans, what makes us civilized human beings.  A 30 year old man in a coma can not make informed decisions and executing 232 individuals is not something to brag about.