JERKWATER TRAIN

Her voice strikes me as a rainbow of complex emotions, sad and yearning yet hopeful and reassuring. ... Thanks.

Trurh matters, for without it we have nothing.

 I believe in the inherent dignity of every human being. I believe in freedom of expression and freedom of worship. I believe in human rights and equal rights for everyone: women, ethnic and religious minorities, immigrants, LGBT, and the disabled. I believe BLACK LIVES MATTER. And I defend the constitution and the separation between church and state. The America I know and love is good, compassionate, tolerant, and fair. And that is one vision.

We are here to heal, not harm. We are here to love, not hate. We are here to create, not destroy. God is love, not hate.

My friends are whites and blacks. I am not color blind. They're mostly uppermiddle class. They are wealthy in material and in spirit. They embody the Midwestern values: down to earth and ready to lend a hand. They don't complain about paying taxes. They don't complain about Obamacare, though they don't benefit much from it. They don't judge others. They don't single people out based on trifles. They're not selfish. They're Atheists and Christians and Unitarians and straight and gay. The men I know respect women (a prerequisite to hang out with me). But what binds them all is their belief in the principal of human solidarity and the inherent dignity of everyone and the American values. I tip my hat. And am lucky to be in their company. The political waters are choppy and turbulent, but I still believe we are that shining city on a hill. Don't ever lose hope, and don't dim the lights of our beloved village. America.

We must unite as ONE human race. Our DNA is 99.9% the same. We must evolve to save ourselves on this tiny blue dot. We are so alone in this enormous universe. I want to think that there are more of us who want this than don't. We must not allow those powerful political and religious forces to tear us apart.

Never in the history of humankind when society rejected science and reason that things had gotten any better. Tell me.