Do you think America will overcome the divisive hate rhetoric? Whose responsibility is it to change?

I am giving both views a thumbs up for objective, polite and respectfully stating views and thoughts on the highly volatile issue. Maj (Join to see) & GySgt Melissa Gravila

I like the views also. I have been reading what went on in Washington over the weekend and the main speakers , Madonna and Judd were pure disgusting. I never did understand the purpose of the march..

Capt Tom Brown - Thank you for the thumbs up Sir- if we want to change the world it has to start somewhere- it might as well start here, with me.

GySgt Melissa Gravila - Thank you sister. It is the many folks with your thoughts and beliefs which can and do make America great.

COL Jon Thompson I served from 1968 to 1972. After leaving Vietnam, I went to Okinawa for four days to pick up my uniforms, get shots, etc. While I was there, a Marine arriving from my unit told me that one of my closest friends had been killed right after I left country. That was a bad shock. I wore my uniform when I flew so that I could fly military standby. When I arrived at LAX, I was again shocked by the hate that I encountered at the airport. For a very long time, I did not trust some civilians. I could not stand the protestors then, and I can not stand the protestors now. Instead of protesting, volunteer at a homeless shelters or some other positive activity to make your community a better place.

Exactly what we need to do.

Well, I qualify as that Vietnam era veteran but don't see the same situation. Back then hatred was directed primarily only at the military. If you were military you pretty much traveled in civilian clothes and kept a low profile or found yourself targeted for repercussions. However during this time the average citizen regardless of political affiliation was pretty much proud to be American and believed that politicians were working for them. That is not the case in todays environment as I see it. The hatred I see today is focused on the inability of congress to govern and the perception that all they want to do is push agendas and is strongly divided along party lines. How to get politicians to unify for the good of the people who elected them is above my pay grade, but is what must happen if we will ever become unified again.

I'm a Vietnam era Vet ('70-'74). I didn't experience a single instance of Vet Abuse during my entire enlistment. Even when in uniform.

I went to Tech School at Chanute AFB, Rantoul, IL. It was an easy hitchhike to the University of Illinois campus in Champaign-Urbana, a trip I made almost weekly for six months. By my appearance, dress, and demeanor, I obviously didn't 'fit in', and sometimes, in conversations with students and locals, it would be mentioned I was AD Air Force. It would occasionally start some interesting conversations, but no one abused me physically or verbally.

More than once during that time I traveled to and from SFX, in uniform so I could fly Military Standby. The only "threatening crowds" I encountered were the Hare Krishnas who thought that because I was AD I had plenty of money to donate to them.

I also out-processed through Travis AFB, outside of San Francisco, and, still in uniform, flew out of SFX, (of course, that was Feb, '74, and we were pretty much disengaged from VN by then and, therefore, not so much anti-war activity).

From a pseudo-philosophical standpoint, I tend to reject the notion that the President can create and/or heal the divisions we're seeing now. The President (whoever he/she is) is more an indicator, not an instigator.

When you get sick and have a fever, the fever is not the disease, it's the symptom that indicates you have a disease, and probably have had it for one to several days already. In that analogy, the President is the symptom that tells us we're sick, while the disease resides in us, the electorate.

Yes, he will have four years to help to diagnose and treat the disease, but his election and the reasons for it are just the indicator of our National health.

Exactly, Democrats have already indicated they are willing to do what was done to them, so while Republicans may have power nothing is likely to change.

Considering right after Barack Obama was elected, the Senate Majority leader came out and said their only goal during that term was to ensure he didn't get reelected, I'd say there's plenty of blame to go around on all sides... not just one.

Great thoughts and response MSG Jay Jackson

Those are great thoughts, MSG Jay. But I do see one significant factor you miss in your discussion: Every one of "those politicians" was elected by "us voters". At least, those of us who bothered to vote.

I was, for a time, a school board member. You said, "Go to school board meeting.... Remember they are planning on how to educate your kids or grand kids and spending your tax money. Do not give them a free pass!" Believe me, we never once thought we had a "free pass" when it came to spending public money for public education.

I was on the Board for about ten years. In that time, I became aware of two, huge, factors as regards Public Education:

1. Every year, with one exception, we received less money than the year before, yet were given more Federal and State mandated goals we were required to meet (the biggest, single, 'impossible' goal we were given during my tenure was "No Child Left Behind", Pres. Bush2's plan to re-invent Public Education);

2. I spent a couple of years before I became a Member doing exactly what you suggested: I attended the Meetings. I was a Parent/Citizen attending the Board meetings for my kids' schools. At one point, I got a call from a Board Member. He was ill and had to resign. Since I had shown interest (by simply being there; 9 times out of ten, the ONLY member of the Public who was there) he was asking me to apply to the Board to be appointed to his unfinished Term, and then run for Election at the next regular General Election.

When his vacant seat was posted and advertised, it was incredible the number of people who came out of the woodwork to apply for the position. People who hadn't been to a single meeting during the two years I attended as "the audience". To no one's surprise, I got the appointment. Not necessarily because I was the "best choice", but because I was someone who "showed up" on a regular basis.

Based on my experience as an elected official, things get done by people who show up. There are generally three kinds of people in this setting: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder, "What happened?".The people in the third group are the ones who get all up in arm's, with torches and pitchforks, ready to lynch someone, when something happens that they don't like.

The first group, elected officials in this illustration, is a small,limited, ELECTED group. The second group is potentially unlimited, the onl

Sgt Bob Leonard - The first group, elected officials in this illustration, is a small,limited, ELECTED group. The second group is potentially unlimited, the only requirement being that you're interested enough to show up and share your thoughts. The third group is limitless: you're already a member of that group by default, no effort necessary.

The media could take a huge dose of simmer down juice too.

SSG Trevor S. - trust me, they are part of the "top" for sure lol

I don't agree with mocking his tiny crowds or fingers when he is building pipelines to transport Tar Sands Crude, threatening to register Muslims or waste billions building a wall across our southern border... let's focus on the real issues.

My guess is no