On Saturday, November 30, we had our first snowfall of the season. While it was originally forecast as only a dusting, we had about three inches at our home. Looking out our window it made me think of having a clean slate. It covered things in our yard that were not how we might like them. Leaves gone unraked, bare spots with no grass, cleaning that had gone undone. This was an opportunity for a new beginning, wiping the slate clean and starting anew. Others may have viewed it as no more than hiding the bad things that were soon to resurface. While I may not agree, I can respect their views. That is one of the great things about our past, the right to disagree yet move forward. I wonder if our country, and its current political climate, and have a clean slate and move forward.

The holiday season has begun. The elections have come and gone. There are some who are happy with the results and those who are dissatisfied with the results. For whatever reason, this year seems to be filled with more hatred than any election year I have lived through. There have been those who suggested cancelling Thanksgiving (I hope jokingly, but I’m not sure) and those who have cancelled family gatherings to avoid political discussions.

The blame game is continuous. People who voted one way blame those who voted another. The minority blames the majority. One group blames another. Even within a party, everyone seems to be looking for someone else to blame for something. Candidates are still asking for money although the election has been over for nearly a month. The name calling continues without end, especially by many media stars. It all seems mindless.

The only time I can remember something even close to this is elementary school name calling, like we see today, shared in print, broadcast, and social media, is when we were children on the playground. But there, the hatred was missing. We could be mad and call someone a “bad name” one minute yet be playing with them a few minutes later as though the words were never spoken.

Perhaps, it is time for us to put aside the hatred, the discontent, the constant blathering, and live together as Americans. Maybe we can respect the differing views of our fellow Americans and stop trying to force everyone into a common mold. Something the Communists have tried for years and still seem unable to make work. I wonder if we, particularly the press and the Hollywood celebrities, can put aside our differences and respect each other for even a few days and enjoy the holiday season. Or should we cancel Christmas or whatever holiday you may celebrate at this time of year? I haven’t seen this promoted by the opinion writers, or movie stars at celebrations in a country other than the U.S. but I can see it coming.

My view of all of this is, “Get real. There are more important things in life than an election. Your parents and your teachers knew this and taught you this when you were young. Have we forgotten everything we learned?”