My Weapon of Choice is Love

Art by James Earl Fraser

I have been going out of my way to post positive messages in recent months, mainly due to the fact, 1. it is how I truly feel and 2. because our society is screaming for a change. The world is forever changing all around us and with that change comes a few bumps and growing pains along the way.

I have been extremely emotional watching the world around me. All of the ups and down and quite honestly it is a bit exasperating at times. Where have our scruples gone?

What better time to seek positive reinforcements than Thanksgiving. As an American this is my favorite holiday as it has no political or religious connotations but simply a day to celebrate ones blessings. It is a day of family and friendships to come together under one roof and say thank you for being in my life and for all the good each individual brings. I guess one can argue the politics behind Thanksgiving but I'm going to focus on the word THANKS.

Black Friday is an American day of indulgence and tradition that has been going on my entire lifetime. I'm all for great deals and saving money and the start of my most favorite time of the year. But when it is at the expense of our integrity then I have to say, don't you think it is about time we step back and evaluate our behavior? I cannot be the only person in America that finds a large majority of people's behavior totally unacceptable on this day.

Where has our camaraderie gone? We are a nation of brotherhood and I believe it is time we all start acting as such once again. We rise and fall as one and at the moment we seem to have been in a decline for quite some time. We need to band together and start picking ourselves up. We have been living in an obvious, "EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF" society and it is not getting us anywhere.


It is time for a change. Let's make this day our starting point, no more pointing fingers and no more looking back. No more hate slinging, typically created through lies and stereotypes. Please stop the madness. It is time to trudge forward ride out these growing pains and come out the other side better and stronger.

The only way this can be a reality is if we start building our communities again. It takes a village, let us build that influential village based on truth and positivity. This does not have to be as difficult as it has been. Our lives do not have to be a struggle. If we help each other, we all win, no one is left behind.

Living in poor economic times is affecting a large majority. But if we work together to rebuild then the sound economic changes that take place will benefit us as a whole, not only a select few. Imagine a world with no poverty and the benefits that would come from such a profound reality. Soon there would be a decline in crime because there would be no reason for people to perform such acts of desperation. This decline of compassion was a gradual thing and I realize rising up from our fall will take a gradual climb.

Today, as a nation, our time is now. As a citizen I feel it is my duty to begin and be the voice that starts by saying thank you to those in my life whom have influenced me for the good. I want to thank those I have wronged that saw it in their heart to forgive and I want to have the grace to truly forgive and forget any one who seeks my forgiveness. We are a country of opportunity let us also be one nation of peace, freedom and compassion.

I understand there were many who fought for those freedoms. This is my fight. Instead of fighting fire with fire my weapon of choice is love; I'm fighting for love with LOVE and I'm graciously asking you to join me in this battle.

Anything worth fighting for never comes easy, it is well past the time to roll our sleeves up and put in the work. I believe it will be worth the effort. This is a task that some may say is a failure and is a pointless waste of time. Do not allow our mistakes to taint our intentions, when we fail we must try again and not stop until the destination is reached.