BONUS BLOG: in the aftermath of Saturday’s shooting

Tom Welge is a longtime friend IRL and President and CEO of Gilster-Mary Lee Corp. in Chester, IL. It is with his graciously expressed permission that I share this with you here for your edification – – –

I was honored to give the welcome on Kaskaskia Island on the 4th of July. With the events of this past weekend, I felt all of us need to think about the Danger of Division we all face as Americans, so I’m sharing this with you, ALL my FB Friends (Democrats, Republicans, and Independents).

On behalf of the Kaskaskia 4th of July Committee, welcome to our 54th annual celebration of America’s Birthday here on Kaskaskia Island. Thank you for being here with us today in this historic and hallowed place.

This day is one day in particular we should remember that there are not Liberal Americans and Conservative Americans, Democrat, Republican, or Independent Americans, White, Black, or Brown Americans – but simply, and only Americans. Being “only an American” is enough, actually more than enough. The freedoms we enjoy and the opportunities we have are envied by people in every corner of our world today.

That certainly doesn’t mean that we agree with each other all the time, on every issue. Debate and discussion is good for our nation. It always has been. However, we should not let those that seek to divide us create hate where we should have compassion, understanding, respect, and a willingness to work together. We must continue to strengthen the America that our Founding Fathers envisioned and our own Mothers and Fathers built.

80 years ago last month over 50,000 young Americans boarded ships, landing craft, airplanes and gliders to free the world from hate in the D Day invasion. Did the 3000 Americans that lost their lives in that operation do so to protect only the Americans they agreed with? No.

Rather than listen to the loudest mouths on the internet or the most sensational political personalities on both sides of the aisle, I’d suggest, we hear from a few truly great Americans as they speak to us about the danger of division.

“This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.” – Theodore Roosevelt
“Pit race against race, religion against religion, prejudice against prejudice. Divide and conquer! We must not let that happen here.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” – Harry S. Truman
“If we love our country, we should also love our countrymen.” – Ronald Reagan

Hating is easy. Working together is hard. Giving up is easy. Finding solutions and common ground is hard. But, America was never about taking the easy path or avoiding the hard work that protecting freedom, equality, and opportunity requires.