Heavy political traffic dominates the news in recent days. It is congested with political rhetoric, opposing views, and speed-race driving in opposite directions.The primary traffic with its abrupt starts and stops is like no other election year. Road rage and erratic driving has brought any wise-thinking citizen to a near halt.

What a congestion night-mare for those who merely want to by pass the bottleneck and continue on their journey. Signs are up everywhere for future re-construction. The routes of progress are dramatically up for change and who knows where the map will take us.

This election road leads us to a challenging journey. Each party wants to scramble for the driving seat: steer the future of life and country: democracy and the role of government in hand. It is sobering our voting responsibility and even more so, the outcome. If only we can endure the messy political process to an electorate decision.

Even optimists, if honest, worry about veering to a precipice edge with this political cycle

It all seems so oppressive, so chaotic, when known political figures and party structures are being exposed. We hardly recognize our American way of life of hope and change when exposed to the embarrassing bare nakedness of it all. Exposure happens when those things we wish to hide are brought into revealing light. How painful when all the world is watching. And more painful when we expect better from those whom we place on pedestals, or lift on platforms, to be our potential great leaders. How far the fall.

Buckle up, tighten your seat belt. It’s bound to be one messy ride as both parties speed to the final countdown of our November National Election. We will have more massive ads streaming into our homes, signs planted on our lawns and bumper stickers shouting from our cars. Political megaphones blast. But will they attract attention enough to awake the sleepy uninformed electorate? I only hope the intense media doesn’t tempt us all to pull down the visor, or lull us back to the lazy comfort of idling passively down the road. Overkill often causes us to check out altogether.

It really is time to shake ourselves from complacency in order to see the deep divide and hear the wounded cry of our great country. Pain is real and beyond the ability of political party, ideology, and quite honestly, beyond the scope of government to stop the flow of bleeding in our nation. Much is sick in the life of our nation. The heart of our nation is shaking. We feel the unsettled effects. The silence of the suffering turns into the cry of the wounded and further cries of angery mobs.

How can we not be affected by the great wounds this process already has revealed? The daily shock runs deep and then sharply cuts deeper. No one can deny the unhealed wounds of mistrust, hatred and injustice. It reveals the turmoil and manifested fear of the future, the spiraling-down of our American life. It really can’t be ignored. But we really can’t ignore an honest assessment of the country’s condition in order to provide and choose a plan of direction.

Did any of us truly realize the debts of the heart condition of our nation, the wounds we now face? The blows of disillusionment cuts and divides? It is the alarming unfolding of deceit, of entitlement, of rage of lost opportunities for betterment. It is all the imbedded poisonous practices we see lurking, so ugly; harmful for the American Values of Liberty we desire.

Sadly, it is the unveiling of our political process, the ugly ethics and the unraveling of culture that grieves us most. I doubt the average citizen grasps it; the cause of the spiraling down. And why could anyone even realize the magnitude when those to whom they look to for leadership have failed to be honest and authentic? It is a nasty environment.

We are a nation in crises with a war of ideas, deep wounds held together by band aids. The denial of issues produces undeniable fear and grips many who have put trust in government. They are the ones in pain. Many realize their trust in Washington D C. truly has failed.

Reality unveils and disturbance increases. It will take more than inspiring speeches and personal accolades to unite our country now. There is genuine cynicism because of stalemate and long-term lack of problem solving. Delay has its end: Time now for serious thought and real solutions.

We as a people can not simply, shift blame to political parties alone. It surely is tempting. Individuals share the responsibility for present affairs. How we treat our neighbor, do we cheat and lie, and are we dismissive of others’ suffering? Each one of us is accountable for pass failures and an unforgiving state we find ourselves locked in. There is enough blame to spread all around.

Our energy can be redirected, not by criticism, not in our own measure of passion, but in proven ideals of honesty and accountability and personal responsibility. Our efforts  may be good, but integrity proves the winner. Surely higher ideals must be our GPS guide to our future.

Hasn’t our conscience been awaken in all this chaos? Perhaps this is the rude awakening we all have needed. ALL are offended. The awakening of accountability IS the process of examining our own conscience. Let’s pray that this AWAKENING continues. And that AWAKENING leads our nation to first examine its need for higher ideals; those which are far higher than our present acceptance of the status quo. We have heard that we can do better, but will we?

Integrity has become a devalued standard. We settle for far less then the gold standard of honest order. Requiring integrity leads us to a better nation, fairer and more just dealings. Truth wins over deception. Light triumphs over darkness. If indeed, we humble ourselves and return to our motto, “In God we trust.”

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