America teeters on the brink of the heinous

ELIZABETHTOWN – In the small town of Butler, Pennsylvania, a heinous act Saturday almost took the life of former President Donald J. Trump. We live in a small town and it could have happened here.

Although it didn’t – our town has been pulled into the political battle.

Some say that a divine touch saved the former President as he turned his head in the split second that caused an assassin’s bullet to go through the upper part of his right ear.

Many who watched the coverage during the weekend could have very well been watching history repeat itself as it brought shivers to those who were alive when John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Many prayers have gone forth from people all over the world and on the other side of that coin, there are sick and twisted people that have traveled to social media to hide and cower behind a computer screen as they have printed their regret that the bullet didn’t accomplish its task.

This is where we’ve come to, America? We are on the brink of Civil War and the stories of the horrid stench of family against family and brother against brother in that war have been buried so deep that we choose not to revisit the infamous battle and learn from our mistakes.

In the coming weeks, there will be speculation, investigation and answers as to why a 20-year-old sharp-shooter could access a building 130 yards from the stage that President Trump was holding a campaign rally. Why the shooter was able to get off eight shots before he was killed by the Secret Service. And what was the motive and who was behind this act of domestic terrorism.

As an athlete in this country, you learn that some enemies are stronger, smarter, maybe more ruthless, maybe not as compassionate. Whatever the reason for the hate, we were taught that you don’t pick up guns and kill the competition.

Perhaps it was a divine hand in the situation. What is certain is that this “race” has gotten way out of hand and we need to call on the divine as we sure have not been able to solve the problems.

This has happened before. Many times.

In Springfield, Illinois. June 1858, Abraham Lincoln called Stephen Douglas a co-conspirator to legalize slavery and gave the famous “House Divided” speech. Three weeks later, a few miles north, in Chicago, Douglas denied the charges and brought charges of his own against Lincoln, calling him “a dangerous radical.” And the slinging of mud went forth like that for quite some time.

The arguing and accusations caused a great split. The split was enhanced with the addition of public debates.

Next up… the year was 2000. Hanging chads. Anyone remember that? Robert Salladay of The San Francisco Examiner posted an article back then which may jog your memory. I will print only a portion:

“Even though voters across the nation picked two mainstream presidential candidates with traditional messages, enough wounds were opened during the past few weeks to make the battle between vice president Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush as nasty and suspenseful as the unexpectedly tough primaries.”

It’s one thing to have siblings fighting, but we must remember that at times, only the divine can step in to bring us back to unity and to remind us that we are family. One Nation. Under God. Indivisible. With liberty and justice for all.

Those words, are probably not all that familiar in this day and age, as even our pledge has been tainted and tampered with by the spirit of political correctness and governmental infighting. “Friendly fire” in America has not been so “friendly” of late.

So… Lincoln was sworn in on March 4, 1861. Civil War broke out in April of the same year. 2001 George Bush is sworn into office. The country was split and bickering like the battling Bickersons. Sept. 11 comes around. 9/11. Lives are gone in an instant and we eventually begin a conflict in the Middle East that we are still fighting today.

Doesn’t it seem odd that it takes just a few things to get us so bent out of shape and we let the little things snowball until the hatred is out of control?

It then takes a disaster of epic proportion to bring us plumb. To remind us that truly a house divided is neither healthy nor able to stand.

It reminds me of siblings fighting in the back seat of the car before the inception of seat belts. Not heeding the warnings from the front seat, the fighting escalates to the point of not even being able to hear the voice from up there.

And then… it happens. Out of nowhere. Suddenly and without warning. Dad puts his foot down. On the brake pedal. Hard. Causing both combatants to actually take flight momentarily and then crash to a heap on the floor, closer to the wrath of the hand of the one they refused to listen to. Out of crisis came unity… and a bit of whimpering from the whipping.

Our country has become so caught up in the hatred that we no longer hear the voice of reason.

Bringing America plumb. What will it take this time? Perhaps another pandemic, and chances are good that China is working on that right now. Perhaps the fear of death itself to bring life back into a dying body. Perhaps putting people in the same room and making them work together to find a solution. A camaraderie. A cure.

It’s time to bring the medicine for the sickness of the soul of America and for the collateral damaged hearts that are failing them for fear.

Tucked away in the middle of a little-known scripture in the gospel of Luke, Chapter 13, verse 32 are three little words that appear in red lettering in the King James Bible.

“I do cures…” My advice – LET HIM.

Buckle up America – dad’s about to slam on the brakes… whether you believe He will or not.