America: Let’s make “Civility” contagious!

The shooting in Tucson was tragic!  Twenty people shot, 6 fatally including a 9 year old girl and a United States Congresswoman who is in critical condition with a bullet through her head  I won’t go more into the details as we all know what occurred.  Instead, I want to say again, as I so often do on Beyond The Pale;

“Can we dial down the crazy…Please!”

Even as the nation seems to be demanding a stop to the vitriol and blame game, our 24 hour news rags seem to have non-stop talking head segments with Crazy Left and Crazy Right battling it out to see who can take the blame for an even more crazy nut that was the source of the tragedy.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver said it best when he said can we finally have an end to the societal downward spiral that is the result of an “I’m Right & you’re Evil” siege mentality.

Ok, is it possible? Can we as a nation begin to see people whom we disagree with on public policy simply as wrong, and not evil?  Can we agree to disagree yet still respect our neighbor as a fellow American?

Can we?

Well, I suppose someone has to go first, so …here goes

Dear President Obama,

I’m a Conservative Republican who, most likely, will never vote for you (even if you run against Sarah Palin, in which case I’ll probably write in the name of some random guy who lives across the street).  I don’t think you are doing enough to reduce our national debt, nor to create jobs.  I believe you and I have fundamental disagreements on some of the key social issues that divide our country and I believe you are ineffectual and slightly naive in regards to foreign policy at a time when America can’t afford to be ineffectual.  Having said that, I want to say

• I admire your commitment to your wife and children and feel it serves as an inspiration for families around our country.  
• I have concerns about your health care plan but don’t think its part of some “Fabian Socialist” plot to undermine America.  I believe it’s born of a genuine desire to see health care available to the most vulnerable of my fellow Americans.  I just think we need to work on it some more…
• I believe you have tried to maintain a modicum of integrity in an arena that has all but jettisoned it
• I would thoroughly enjoy having a beer with you 
• That you are my President and have my support 110%.  

Oh and:

• I am a Pentecostal Christian who doesn’t believe you are the Anti-Christ, 4th Horseman of the Apocalypse, or any other character from the Book of Revelation.