I watched the Town Hall Meeting held in Retson, Virginia recently. The roar of the crowd, the hooting and whistling reminded me of the accounts of how the Romans roared when Christians were fed to the lions; or the roar of American citizens at lynchings; or the strident "Sieg Heil" as murder of Jews took place in Europe.
Our security, our safety depends on two things: respect for communal law and behavior, and trust in the honesty of each other and our institutions. Both are missing at these Town Hall Meetings. It is not just blogs, mocking radio show hosts, TV pundits, or the news media that is creating this environment.
We have a role in all this. Do we listen to other points of view? Do we question words of hate? Do we belittle differences? Do we reason out of fear? We need to recognize that our safety, the Country's spirit depends on the respect and trust we accord each other.
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