Sometimes a Great Nation...

"In other words, is there a human alive today that would heal a nation a fractured as ours? Our last President could not."

Okay - so I stole this title. I am a Ken Kesey fan, and this was his second book (notion, not nation) he penned right after One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. But this article really has nothing to do with either of Ken Kesey's books. It has to do with America. It has to do with us. And it has to do with some pondering I have been doing as of late.

Traveling through this great country this past week, I realized once again the size and the grandeur of the land in which we dwell. Chatting with folks along the way, also reinforced a credo I have believed in for years - people are basically good. They are relational. They are friendly, and can be very hospitable.

Then I had a "stopper" for a thought. How in the world could a country this wonderful, with nothing more than having a few "first world problems", become this fractured. This divided.

I saw a pundit on one of the television shows recently complaining about our new President. How he really wishes President Trump would bring us together. I thought, would or could? In other words, is there a human alive today that would heal a nation as fractured as ours? Our last President could not. I know, I know - he promised he would. But he was blinded by his past. As well the past history of the country he was leading. And our new President never promised to bring us together. He only promised to make us "great again", by fixing a whole raft of natty problems.

Last night in the Super Bowl, both teams played a hell of a game. Unlike the old days when quite often the Super Bowl was coined the "Super Bore", the game last night was nothing like that. It was a nail biter until the final Pats touchdown. And now today, life goes on. For both New England and Atlanta, life goes on. There are no protests, wailing, gnashing of teeth. As the people in New England savor the victory, the folks in Atlanta are thinking about how they can become just 1% better next year. To maybe win it all next year.

Not so much in our county. Even though the election was almost three months ago, many are still fighting it. Re-litigating it. And many in Congress are practicing obstructionism to the final degree. People are still in the streets. And yes, some woman are still wearing the "P" hats or dressing up like vaginas (where were these costumes during the Clinton Administration?). 

Are we a great nation? To that I would have to answer "sometimes". When we want to be, when we act like the blessed nation we are. When we act blessed and mature, we are an awesome nation. However, if we continue this bloodless civil war we are in, we are anything but great.

The world is watching America. Not just how or what our new President is doing, they are also watching us. And it is up to us not to sully nor soil the reputation our country has had for decades.