bAs this year comes to an end, "what do we say to these things?
This year has revealed to me that our great country has come to a cross road.
When we look back, it is obvious that we have come a long way in many different aspects.
We have forged several streams.
Some were rapids, some were calm, and some were a beautiful even flow.
But now we find ourselves at a crossroads.
Some would say, that this is just a widening in the road.
That all our crossroads are behind us.
But I have traveled all over this great nation several times over the last year and, no we are certainly at a crossroad.
We are more divided than ever before!
We are more money conscious that ever before!
And we are more politically confused than ever before.
The lines of life are blared on every aspect of our society.
Racism is on the rise.
Bigotry has taking root in a new way.
Poverty and homelessness is at a chronic level (and this syndrome is color blind).
We are being force to choose between tradition and patriotism (which I use to think were the same thing.)
We are being driven by a real but invisible fear that leaves us feeling helpless (something we as a nation are not accustom too).
We are force fed news from biased news venues twenty-four hours a day.
Each pulling us in the direction of their own divisive agenda.
So we are at the crossroads.
Which road will we choose?
The interesting thing about a crossroad vs a junction is that we have three directions to choose from instead of two.
To me this is a very auspicious place for us to be in.
What are our choices?
What direction shall we take?
How do we define our future existence as a nation for ourselves and for the world?
This is unmistakably the most perplexing question of this new millennium.
The answer to this question will ultimately establish the route we take and the direction this nation will navigate for generations to come.
At this point, I believe we are in a quagmire.
We are bogged down at the crossroads of decision.
Which way will choice to go from here?
I don't believe we will have a lot of time to make this decision because the rest of the world has come of age.
With age comes agility.
And with agility comes speed.
If we don't decide soon, we will be overtaken and/or ran over by young eager ambitious neophytes looking to make their mark on the world.
This fact is obvious from the response America received from a global warming conference participate who challenged us to either; "Lead, follow, or get out of the way!" We are at a crossroads alright and it's decision making time.
The one thing that we cannot afford to do is regress...
Growing pains heal quickly but old wounds reopened heal very slowly if ever completely at all.
We, of recent days, are experiencing old wounds of racial tensions, poverty, and classicism being torn open all over again. Some examples of these are: the Katrina aftermath; the Jena 6 and the Duke 3 cases; a rise in police brutality and gang violence; the mortgage crisis; church, mall, and school shootings; and high gas prices to name a few.
Has America lost her way?
Is she off her path? The path that is marked with great suffering and sacrifice. With the blood, sweat and tears of pioneers of truth, justice, peace and the American way (we the people) that has trodden before us. Or is she at a respite. Allowing time for new pioneers to take their place and lead her into her destiny.
Whether off her path or at a respite, America is at a crossroad.
So where will we go from here?
Will we choose the road that symbolizes the first letter in "USA?"
Or will we choose to take a road that leads us into a different direction?
I believe that we as a nation cannot afford to get off the path that we have forged, tried, and provened. The path that serve as the example of the road to democracy for the rest of the world.
Our decision determines whether we will continue to lead instead of follow (and to me get out of the way is not an option we can afford to except).
So you see, America must make a decision.
America is at a crossroad!
What do we say to these things???
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