Lynn Gendusa
Former Troup County resident living in Roswell

Sunday morning began as usual with coffee brewing at 7 am, the paper waiting to be read, and the morning news streaming from the small television in the kitchen.

As I poured my coffee, I listened to the headlines; a major earthquake and aftershocks rocked California, Iran possibly violated a nuclear deal, and the immigration crisis continues at our borders and detention centers.

While my eyes were focused on my waffle in the toaster, I couldn’t help hearing how quickly the news anchors turned their vitally important lead stories to politics and discord. I found it disturbing how much time was spent discussing Joe Biden’s apology for his actions during the confirmation hearings of Judge Clarence Thomas 28 years ago. They opined endlessly over the controversial use of our 243-year-old Betsy Ross American flag’s depiction on a pair of sneakers. And, of course, then the invited opposing members of Congress put forth their two cents worth of comments.

I know these are important issues to many, but should they overshadow an earthquake, major immigration problems, and a prospect of nuclear war? Shouldn’t Congress be working on these pressing current problems instead of political posturing? Shouldn’t the airways be filled with pertinent information and facts about these significant concerns?

My suggestion for Congress is to get to work and work together for the good of all who call America home. Should we keep paying their salary if they can’t? 

Why do we get so derailed with political correctness and party politics that we lose the real headlines in our lives? We often get so focused on our societies past failures that we lose sight of our future. Do we not have more urgent issues in America right now than assigning blame?

Perhaps all of us should join hands and pray that Iran keeps their nuclear arsenal in check along with North Korea or none of our problems will matter.

Was Betsy Ross representing an uncivil America in 1776? Possibly, but without those soldiers who fought for our freedom then, there would be no America today. We grew into our constitution for equal rights, and we are still growing, still amending, still learning because we have the freedom ascertained by those early residents of this land to do so.

Yes, it is our right to protest, pitch a fit, and say anything we please because of those who were brave enough to come to this land and establish a constitution which provides us the right to tweet, sit, stand, protest, and pray.

Sometimes I feel as if the quiet American citizen who rises on Sunday morning, grabs a coffee, goes to church, works hard on Mondays, takes their kids to soccer or dance practice during the week, is getting lost in a world of political chaos. They are neither far left nor far right, can see two sides to an argument, and wants what is best for ALL their fellow citizens. They want compromise built upon intellectual and common sense principles.

Most of us dread the next Presidential election. It is already a nasty political landscape which has filtered down from Washington to backyards everywhere.

The only way I know to stop the swamp from overtaking our lives, is for those who have remained silent in America to wake up on an unusual Sunday morning and let your voices be heard over the talking heads, the shouts of discord from the quagmire, and demand honor and honesty return to the American political and media landscape.

Then, perhaps, we can all drink our coffee in peace.