For as chaotic as the world can be, it seems like the last few years have been extraordinarily unhealthy. The world faced a wild pandemic that attempted to truly shut down most aspects of normal life. The measures taken to stave off economic ruin induced the most extreme euphoria followed by crippling inflation. We watched a world superpower send missiles and tanks across its border to a neighbor. Tens of thousands have died, and that conflict continues. What is always a flashpoint waiting to happen heated up after a surprise attack that has since left tens of thousands of Israelis and Palestinians dead. Just yesterday, we witnessed an assassination attempt on a former President of the United States and the leading candidate to be the next President of the United States. Throughout this chaotic and traumatic time, society has become increasingly more divided and politically charged. We have continued to move away from healthy discourse and compromise, to where only the most extreme positions can command the megaphone. The rhetoric has been intolerable to moderates, weakens the nation, and clouds the American Dream. In the spirit of introducing more balanced thinking to the landscape, I share some of the thoughts that have been on my mind: - I am thankful President Trump survived the attempt on his life and feel for the families of those killed or injured in the crowd. It is nauseating and entirely unacceptable to think this is how an election could have been won or lost in our country. - I do believe when a person comes so close to death they are changed. I imagine it is hard not to reflect on your own mortality, the decisions you have made in life, and the legacy you stand to leave behind. President Trump quite literally dodged a bullet. I hope whatever his thoughts are coming out of this horrible situation, it leaves him as a better..more capable leader of uniting this fractured nation. Especially since I believe yesterday’s events all but cement his future as our next President. - I am grateful law enforcement prevented greater loss of life, but I don’t know how a 20-year-old gets in a position to take those shots. There must be accountability. If we think our government is already broken, there will be far more lives lost and utter chaos if we can’t protect our political leadership. That stated, please do not jump to conspiracy theories. It is that kind of thinking that has led to so much of the national divide. There are good, patriotic people at all levels of the government. Good people don’t sit idly by as their coworkers attempt or knowingly permit an assassination. Similarly, the government does not employ 20-year-olds to get the job done, especially knowing if they fail it will almost certainly result in the candidate they are trying to stop.. getting elected. - As much as I do think it can be an ‘echo chamber’ at times, I do have to give credit to those that broke the news yesterday on X. Like many times in the past, the updates were prompt, really informative, and in contrast to what many of the more traditional news outlets were reporting. - I have always had an appreciation for photographers and Evan Vucci @evanvucci captured the picture of the decade. Long after we are gone, that photo of an injured Trump in front of the American flag will continue to tell the story of when our country really lost its way. It is probably not a surprise, but I am a moderate, and for a variety of reasons, I have never been in love with either candidate for President. I have felt long before this election cycle that the two-party system has continuously failed to put the best candidates possible on the ballot. Throughout my life, I have met some of the smartest, most responsible, and capable leaders, real heroes from the military, and others that have built careers inspiring, uniting, and motivating people to accomplish amazing things for the good of our country. For as imperfect as our system may be, it is our system, and we should be united behind it and defend it because for all of our flaws, there is no greater nation on earth.