I’m a morning man. I wake up optimistic and look forward to the day, whatever it may bring. But, today was different. For the first time in recent memory I woke up angry; not yet out of bed I had a chip on my shoulder. I was mad and I was worried. The endless campaigning had finally gotten to me. I’d had it!

        The innuendos, vitriol, accusations, and hate rhetoric spouting from the mouth of one candidate gives one pause to consider the real motives of such a person and how did he get into this position in the first place? His actions match his words so there is no guessing how he operates. His bold lies are not subtle nor can he hide his temper or disguise his distaste for everybody who is not him. This callous representation of a man is a self-proclaimed predator and not a person you would want around your young daughter.

         On the flip-side, there have been the relentless never-ending investigations to discredit the other candidate. The powers that be have finally concluded again and make no mistake; there is no hard evidence of any intentional wrong-doing or breaking the law with the exception of her self-admitted mistake: setting up a personal e-mail account. You had better believe she is not the only public servant who does this, but by far the only one being sliced and diced over every word.

        Regardless that she has the background credentials, geo-political experience, and important governmental relationships to prove herself as the more worthy candidate to be president, the hate rhetoric persists beyond any measure given any other politician save the president.

       Still, and most important, there are a growing number of people in our nation who want action from our do nothing Congress. Our communities are willing to go to extremes, including the sacrifice of our political system and national well-being in order to make those in power recognize the problems our general population struggle with on a day to day basis. Politicians have been ignoring their constituents for too long now, disregarding their needs, not listening to their problems. Change and reform are long overdue for our way of governing.

        Finally there are the blatantly uneducated and uninformed, who unlike the rest of the voting population rely on media that constantly and consistently makes and repeats opinions and/or hypothetical scenarios rather than presenting factual data with any substance. Because of all this misinformation, turmoil and bitterness, the divide is real and the choice for what path lies ahead is at stake.

        In light of all this I moved into that part of my consciousness that produces red flags. The extreme awareness linking both of my hemispheres identified the elephant in the room. The ordeal of the relentless, long-running presidential election campaign finally revealed the chinks in our “Made In America” armor. I recognized this long-over-due election is at the center of my angst. Danger at the door is the result of my worry and the America I love is not ready. I fear some outside intrusion is eminent because we are ripe for it. We are weak, and we are divided. At the moment the heart of our nation is at odds with the head. Homespun American values are being mutated into something unrecognizable. Our America no longer has the political support for its vision of freedom and justice for all and it seems like we are on the verge of a catastrophe of epic proportions. The timing is right.

        And then, respite for my dark feelings came with the last game of the World Series. The Cubs were playing the Indians in the 7th game of the series, and what a terrific game it was! Neither team had gained a league championship in a significant length of time; the Indians not since 1948 and the Cubs hadn’t appeared in a world series for over a century. I thought of a more genteel time and my childhood baseball heroes. These two teams each had a favorite of mine, Bob Feller and Ernie Banks; that’s when it hit me. The quintessential images of how great America still is. There, happening on the screen in front of my eyes, I started recognizing a major element needed in America for a more civil national election. All those people attending the game were of diverse ethnic backgrounds, sitting there side by side cheering on their respective home teams with great gusto. Freely, without fear of repercussion, all were supporting their team no matter what anyone else thought.

        I witnessed a more sportsmanlike fight for a goal only one group and their followers could achieve. No matter how valiant the effort, or how great each individual performed, only one team would emerge victorious. Both sides go in knowing only one side will be champion. And in the end, we all know the rules. We applaud the opposing team and congratulate them on a hard fought battle and we all move ahead together to celebrate the winner. I guess what America really needs is a common goal to achieve together. Take me out to the ballgame!