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Wednesday Morning in America

posted on November 5, 2012

Dear America,

Wednesday morning we are all hopefully going to wake up with the announcement of our president for the next four years.

No matter who wins, there will be many upset people. Emotions will be high and low to the extremes and keep that in mind with every interaction you have throughout the day.

Whoever wins there is one thing that should be clear to every citizen out there and that is we’ve got a lot of work to do.

America is a great country, but over the years of my adult life I’ve watched us lose some of what makes us great. It isn’t gone, it is hidden in the shadows and buried under many problems. There is no simple solution to bringing it all back and the only way we are ever going to return to where we need to be is by working together rather than against each other.

Crunch the numbers, review the stacks of paper, pass laws, make changes or give speeches. All of it goes together to eventually and hopefully making things better.

I don’t have the solutions, but I know this you vs. me mentality that our government and citizens seem to have adopted is not the answer.

Red vs. Blue might be fun in video games, but it fails in real life.

So, as we all wake up on Wednesday morning after we’ve each taken the time to cast our ballots, I hope that things can start moving back towards a more civil and cooperative country.

I grew up in small town New Hampshire and I know what it means to help your neighbor. Recent events have us focused on helping those effected by a horrible storm, but why couldn’t we all help each other out before that? It wasn’t like we didn’t have people living without power, heat or enough food. We always have those problems and yet it takes a horrible event to have us give our time and money to assist. Every single day, we have fellow Americans who are suffering with the reality of their worlds. We must remember to help them all out.

People are out of work. Our kids are not getting the education they need. Sick people are struggling to afford the care they need. Soldiers are coming home after years at war protecting our values and need our support on multiple levels.

On Wednesday morning in America we’ve got work to do. Each of us may not feel like there is anything we can do, but this country is ours. We each must hold those we elect accountable and insure that they have our best interests at heart. If something feels wrong, get up and make it better. See someone that needs help and you have the skills to assist, do it.

We shouldn’t care which side of the aisle we are, what higher power we choose to worship or who we choose to love. We are Americans and together is the only way we’ll thrive and survive.

The venom of this campaign season is deep rooted and won’t be out of our systems for a while. But you, yes you reading this, can do your part to start making things better.

As the sun rises on our country again, let us all take a few moments to think about how we can improve first our local community and then wider and wider. Eventually as we all start working together rather than against each other amazing things will happen.

I’m proud to live in these United States of America and I hope you feel the same way.

There is a long road ahead filled with a lot of work. Nothing is going to be handed to us, so we must work as one to make it all happen.

Let me know how I can help you.

Sincerely,

C.C. Chapman

 

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Categories: Rambles
  • http://www.michael-rubin.com Michael E. Rubin

    Bravo! Absolutely well said. Politics may be “sport” or just a game to people, but they have real consequences. Let’s drop the whole “I’m right and you’re wrong” attitude and start figuring out how to compromise with each other.

    At your service,
    Michael E. Rubin

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      Glad to hear that other people are appreciating this.

  • http://www.ChristopherSPenn.com Christopher S. Penn

    You might think about running for office, you know. ;-)

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      It has crossed my mind more than once and you are not the first friend to encourage it.

      Who knows…

      • http://matthewebel.com/ Matthew Ebel

        Why not? I wrote you in for County Sherriff.

  • http://twitter.com/webby2001 Tom Webster

    Thanks for this, CC. The rancor around this election is enormous–but we all have to live together on Wednesday.

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      Exactly!

      There are going to be upset people and there are going to be happy people, but no matter what we’ve got to work together. I sure hope it happens!

  • http://www.paulrjmuller.com PaulRjMuller

    I’d like to think this is possible. But the way the news cycle goes and the insular little holes people have dug for themselves with hateful language on both sides makes it that much harder to see the hatchet getting buried Everyone expects the pendulum to swing their way if they win, so they can take back a little of what the other side did.

    I really and truly hope that people just get tired of being mean. It would be nice to refocus on moving forward as one team. No one comes out of the tunnel first.

    on a national scale imagine what it would be like if the runner up had to be vice president, like in the first elections… would make for some good TV there.

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      It certainly isn’t going to be easy and human nature is to always fight and defend what you believe. That is a sad truth.

      I just hope that somewhere inside even the most dedicated of wall builders that they realize that we are all on the same team even if we believe in different things.

  • http://twitter.com/danyork Dan York

    Beautiful post, C.C.! I was saying something very similar to some people yesterday. We live in a nation divided, yet somehow we need to move beyond those divisions and remember the similarities we all share. Thanks for writing this!

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      You are very welcome.

      It was funny because I woke up this morning and something urged me to write it. I’ve been thinking about what I said for a while, but got the urge to publicly share it.

  • Jamie Riddell

    Great post CC! i look forward to seeing you in Nottingham at the end of this month!

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      Thanks, I’m VERY excited about that as well!!!

  • http://chelpixie.com/ Chel Wolverton

    I keep repeating Jack’s words in hopes that someone realizes it’s all about LOST quotes, but I believe very strongly that if we don’t live by those words will be divided by more than just words soon.

    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151135923076896&set=a.10150093366101896.268982.30566281895&type=1&theater

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      GREAT quote and very true.

  • http://chelpixie.com/ Chel Wolverton

    Forgot to attach it.

  • http://twitter.com/RichardPosey Richard Posey

    Great piece. It’s true for every Wednesday after a presidential election. I’ve shared the link for my small following on http://campaignforsanity.org and will pass it along to others.

  • Danielle Smith

    Well said, C.C. Just how I feel. I am voting for the very first time tomorrow. I did a video that shares some of your very same sentiments. I’m grateful for the opportunity to vote and hopeful that come Wednesday, we can begin the long trek forward.

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      First time voting is always a huge experience and can you leave a link to the video here so others can see it?

      • Danielle Smith

        Thank you for that, C.C. Is it silly to admit I’m giddy about it? I cried the day I became a citizen (only three weeks ago)… I truly know how lucky I am. The day I took my Oath, it was with 50 people from 25 different countries (Yemen, the Congo, China, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq)… it was extraordinary. I was born in Canada – the right to vote isn’t foreign to me, but to some of the people in that room? Breathtaking. Here is today’s post/video. I appreciate you asking for it. http://www.extraordinarymommy.com/can-we-talk/vote-your-right-your-responsibility/

      • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

        Awesome!!!!

        So glad that you get to vote because I didn’t know if you’d have time to or not. Wasn’t sure how the law works with new citizens.

        Thank you for putting your thoughts on video!

      • Danielle Smith

        Thank YOU. I won’t bore you with the story again – but I will say I registered MOMENTS after my oath ceremony – with the 50 people who became citizens with me that day (many who have lived in countries where voting has never been an option). So, tomorrow is a treasure for me.

  • http://joshhumble.com/ Josh Humble

    I never talk politics on social media, blogs, or at work, simply because of this. It’s become a bigger taboo then ever to discuss, as too many just can’t hold their political liqueur. I’ve got my principles, but I know I’m not likely to change anyone when many see all dissension as something to shout down, no matter what. I don’t know why people look forward to elections. They’re largely a hot-air filled hate fest. Grounded principles are a must, but so is listening and working together. None of us have all the answers.

    Very nice post, Mr Chapman, and thank you.

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      “Can’t hold their political liquor.”

      Now there is the PERFECT way to say it. I love discussing politics when the people I’m talking with can handle a heated discussion. But, too many people just pick fights and have the attitude that if someone votes/thinks differently than them then they are wrong. It is MUCH more complex than that.

      • http://joshhumble.com/ Josh Humble

        Thanks, C.C., and very true. Moreover, we get into this extreme name-calling junk, when what people are usually being accused of, just isn’t the case. The issues are complex, and even the experts widely disagree on many subjects. Yet too many seem content on destroying or belittling relationships of all kinds with vitriol based on very little insight (or at least, very one-sided views).

    • http://bsoi.st/ bsoist

      >too many just can’t hold their political liqueur

      Indeed!

  • http://twitter.com/cloudspark jr schmitt

    c.c. – you have one solution: vote. if we, as a people, are committed to making this country work, we have to vote. it’d be great to wake up wednesday morning and no matter the outcome saw voter rates at nearly 100%.
    good post my friend.

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      Wouldn’t that be great indeed?

      I’ve NEVER understood how our election day is not a national holiday. Makes no sense to me that people have to figure out how to vote when it should be as easy as possible.

      That being said, any citizen who doesn’t vote is a horrible citizen in my mind. Now that there are so many ways and options to vote, there is no excuse not to unless you yourself are too lazy to make it happen. Every excuse I hear makes me more angry than the last.

      100% voter turnout would be amazing. We can all hope right?

  • http://shardy.net/ Steve Hardy

    Nice post, C.C. My hope for Americans on Wednesday morning is a dawning that these elections (in their current form) — the expensive industry driving them, the years-long distraction from important matters, and the vicious polarization of neighbors — are now as much the problem as anything else and need a wholehearted re-imagining. Good luck.

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      Amen to that. I don’t know if the process will ever change, but I sure would love if they did.

  • Amy Graff

    Well said and so true. Every American needs to read this.

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      Thanks!!!

  • http://twitter.com/CatherineWPhoto Catherine White

    May God Bless the Divided States of America.

  • Gnome

    CC, Great comments, but pointing out the problem is the easy part.Ideas that work are not as easy. So, I would love to see this venue be used to share ideas. Share visions. share opportunities to take this country forward.

  • Bill

    The only thing this election has done is deepen the divide between the sides. Sorry to say, but I believe your wish that we could all work together is unobtainable.

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      Really sorry to hear you think that. The more people who think that way, the less the chance.