Anger, ideology won't solve our problems

It seems likely that any young person today would look back on this year's elections and conclude that there has been a role reversal. The adults have become children, slinging mud, half truths and outright lies in an unregulated day care center.

It begs the question, is there a more thoughtful, grown-up way to address today's pressing issues? Unfortunately, in today's super heated election atmosphere, the voice of reason goes unheard like John the Baptist crying in the wilderness. Too often we descend into factionalism, that dreaded disease that so worried James Madison. We hear only the voice of our own group and ignore all other points of view.

I believe we answer to a higher power. Further, our actions and words have consequences we will be called to account for them somewhere, sometime. The structure of both the Constitution and the Bill of Rights makes clear that the Founding Fathers felt the same way.

The United States has many pressing problems. We need to solve them not through anger or ideology, but through constructive dialogue and respect for each other. Let us hope that after the upcoming election we can put our differences aside, identify mutually held concerns and move forward to try to address them.

Frank Conrad

Marion