The other day, a profound numbness came over me. It wasn’t caused by a single headline but by hours of relentless news at my mother’s house, where the local station is often on. It was a culmination of not just the one day of news but a month or more of hearing the bombardment of negativity being spewed by the local news station. Story after story of tragedy, anger and division wore me down until my emotions felt trapped in a cycle without resolution. I am beyond heartbroken of news over the last several weeks, maybe even months and possibly years of hearing of innocent people losing their lives at the hands of what I only could call the devil in human disguise. But I’m trying to keep to most recent times. No matter where you stand, I turned to prayer, but instead of finding answers, I was left with only with more questions. As it often happens when the weight of the world presses in, insomnia came to visit again.
What troubles me most is not only the events themselves, but how deeply fractured our country has become. Regardless of political leanings, most of us agree, we want what’s best for America. Yet, the way we are pursuing it often feels destructive, less about compromise and more about vilifying one another. Disagreement has become disdain, and disdain has become division, which often leads to violent behaviors being exposed.
As a first-generation American, this breaks my heart, it goes against everything I was taught and lead to believe what made America so different and envied by those who would do just about anything to escape their homelands to have a chance at opportunity, freedom and a better life. We, as Americans are supposed to be the example and the light for the rest of the world to follow. My parents came to this country with little more than determination and a belief that America offered opportunity if you were willing to work hard. They became naturalized citizens, raised me to value integrity, kindness, and perseverance and taught me to be the best I could be at whatever I chose to do. Those values shaped my life. At one time, these same values once shaped much of our national identity. Today, however, they are too often drowned out by the noise of partisan extremes.
The Pledge of Allegiance speaks “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Lately, we seem anything but indivisible. It appears to me more we label ourselves and each other, by race, politics, gender, or beliefs, the more fragmented and divided we become. Even our flag and the mention of God, symbols meant to unite us, now spark contention. Instead of finding strength in diversity, we seem to treat differences as lines that cannot be crossed.
Our nation has become a nation of political extremes rather than a compassionate nation lead by leaders of both parties whose polarized extremes are promoting agendas which are subliminally fed through gas lighting truths to us through mainstream media and social networking. This is not what our America is about!
This division plays out most starkly in how stories are told. Some tragedies dominate headlines for weeks, while others are barely mentioned. Recently, when a young Ukrainian woman recently lost her life to senseless violence, the coverage was minimal. Yet in another case, a Marine veteran who acted to protect subway passengers was thrust into the spotlight, vilified long before his acquittal. These contrasts fuel mistrust and frustration.
The point is not to deny the complexity of these events but to ask: why do we measure outrage differently depending on who is involved? Why do some victims become symbols while others are forgotten? When media narratives amplify certain stories and minimize others, public trust erodes, and resentment grows.
The truth is, these tragedies, whether mass shootings, political violence, or targeted attacks are not just isolated events. They are symptoms of something deeper: the erosion of civil discourse, the normalization of hostility and the failure of our institutions to protect the vulnerable.
For me, the breaking point came with the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk in September 2025. Regardless of one’s views of him, his murder polarized the nation further instead of prompting sober reflection. Violence should never be a substitute for debate. Our Constitution protects the right to disagree, without that, democracy itself crumbles.
I ask, where do we go from here? I believe our nation needs a reset, a collective reminder that being American comes before being Republican or Democrat. We need leaders who can rise above partisan loyalty and remember that compromise is not betrayal. Just as importantly, we need citizens willing to listen to one another without assuming the worst.
America has always been strongest when diverse voices contribute to a shared future. Think of a hearty soup: each ingredient has its own flavor, but together they create something greater. After September 11, 2001, we saw what unity could look like. For a brief moment, differences faded as Americans stood shoulder to shoulder in grief and resolve. If we could find that spirit once, we can find it again.
But unity doesn’t begin in Washington or on the evening news. It begins with us as individuals, taking the first steps. With saying “I love you” more often. With listening to people whose views we don’t share, not to argue but taking time to understand. With performing one small act of kindness, expecting nothing in return. Healing won’t come from a single sweeping gesture, it will come from millions of small ones.
History offers hopeful reminders. President Ronald Reagan and Speaker Tip O’Neill often clashed bitterly on policy, yet they found ways to work together and even maintained a close friendship built on mutual respect. Their example shows how disagreement does not have to end in destruction; it can coexist with decency.
Tonight, I may still wrestle with sleeplessness. I may still pray for answers that don’t come easily. But I will hold on to this belief: America can still reclaim its better self. We can still choose reconciliation over resentment, compassion over contempt and unity over division.
The choice is ours. We can let our fractures deepen until they break us or we can begin stitching the torn fabric of our nation back together. Our nation cannot begin to heal until the day we realize the proverbial saying, “the right wing and the left wing are part of the same bird, only then can it fly” (like an eagle to make America great). The latter part of the sentence in parenthesis is my creative license to be applicable to this post.
For my part, I choose to believe that each of us can play a role in healing. Maybe, if, just enough of us do our small part, then one day soon I and many others will finally be able to get a good night’s sleep.
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