By Cherimie Crane Weatherford
It’s not just the humidity that hangs heavy in the air, making breathing a challenge. The thickness, although unseen, is as evident as the wind. This year, it isn’t hurricane season that creates an undercurrent of concern; dangerous winds and rising tides aren’t the only responsible parties for homes damaged.
In the midst of gatherings across the dining table and the chaos of social media, the election year unleashes a storm of tension, hatred, and the abandonment of empathy. Like a held breath, desperate to be exhaled, it tightens its grip with a clenched fist and gritted teeth, leaving behind a trail of shattered peace and vanishing tolerance.
As the storm rages, kindness seeks refuge, while friends become adversaries and adversaries lose their humanity. Has it always been this way, with social media now serving as the amplifying megaphone, or has the decline reached unprecedented levels? Did we ignore the warnings?
I can’t be the only one to reminisce about the days of a gentler discourse, one that welcomed differences of opinion without emboldening hate and indecency. Is the shoreline of America now so divided that both sides will continue an erosional trend caused by the violent breaking waves? What was the united our forefathers spoke?
The current state of political affiliation seems to have shifted from being rooted in ideology to manifesting as part of one’s identity. Stars and stripes morph into scars and scorn, tearing through small towns and big cities, leaving a path of unimaginable destruction.
Can we shelter in place in anticipation of the storms’ end, or is a more dangerous form of climate change here to stay? Is it impossible for us to see that hate heals nothing? The louder we scream, the less we hear. The mob mentality isn’t an effective army.
Blindly following any crowd leads to blurred vision. Civility is still an option. The pundits, self-proclaimed experts, and those living in the artificial world of social media impact nothing but the noise level. We can temper the rage.
For me, America, the beautiful remains. The dawn’s early light will come through this perilous fight. Our country has fought wars far more fierce than what we face now. America will mend. Her scars won’t fade, but she will mend.
It will take an army of the hopeful, peaceful, and level-headed. It will take thought over propaganda, reading before reacting, listening over screaming, and pride in a country willing to improve.
A direct hit comes in November; we have a choice. We can care for our neighbors, resist hate, and shelter underneath the strength of our ability to see past political affiliation into the heart of humanity. Once the storm subsides, neither candidate will arrive to help rebuild; it will be your neighbor, your community. Beware the fences you build, the bridges you burn.
Cherimie Weatherford is a long-time real estate broker, small business owner, wife and mom in beautiful Beaufort. She is the Director of Operations and Programs for the Freedman Arts District.
