Ending Community Divisiveness

So here WE ALL sit, the day after the attempt on former President Trump’s life.

By the way, the shooter missed by about three inches of ending his life. I am going to assert that it is time for ALL OF US to think about the current divisive state that we are in as a Nation, a Society, and a Community. But I am not going to stop there. I am strongly asserting that we ALL need to look deep into our souls and come to understand how WE have contributed to this state of affairs.

What I saw happen at several recent Sonora City Council meetings certainly qualifies as exacerbating our divisiveness as a Community. Those are just the ones that are fresh on my mind and I have heard the like from every conceivable political viewpoint (and yes, if I am honest with myself, I have made my own transgressions as well).

However, the events of July 13 should be a wake-up call to ALL OF US. We ALL, regardless of political affiliation, need to look into ourselves. Yes, everyone should enjoy the freedom of speech. But with that freedom comes the obligation to exercise it responsibly. We can disagree on issues before us. We can freely express our positions. But when we degenerate into hateful, disrespectful and downright insulting personal characterizations and attacks, WE bear the responsibility for the emotions that speech incites and the resulting increase in divisiveness in our Community that will inevitably result.

No part of our society is responsible for our emotions or their outward expression. Only WE AS INDIVIDUALS, are responsible for our own conduct!

-Karl Rodefer is a former Tuolumne County Supervisor