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Rediscover harmony now or nation perishes/caption
Almost perfectly bisecting the most popular month for marriages (named after the domestic goddess Juno) is June 12th. That datedefined by two notable circumstances (and geography)now has diametrically opposed meanings. Herein the love-hate contours of todays political divide are clearly illuminated.
In a nod to Juno lets start with the good. In the commonwealth whose tourism slogan is Virginia is for Lovers". In Richmond a new historical marker denotes a cultural milestone: a loving" 50th anniversary. Ironically this sign stands outside the building that once housed the Virginia Court of Appeals that was overruled by the U.S. Supreme Courts landmark ruling: Loving v. Virginia 1967. That decision ended Southern states bans on interracial marriage. Synchronistically named Richard and Mildred Loving were a white man and a black woman. Their successful legal challenge facilitated todays commonplace marital experience. That means 11 million are wed to a person of another race. Per Pew Center statistics thats 1 in 6 or 17 percent compared to 3 percent in 1967. Thus how appropriate that for Virginia June 12th is henceforth known as Loving Day. What could be more life-affirming than that?
By contrast in Orlando Florida June 12th marks an infamous one year anniversary. How unfortunate that the horror of mass murderer Omar Mateenwho killed 49 (and injured more than 50) innocents at the Pulse gay nightclubshould correspond on the same day. Yet that it does is instructive. For both events demonstrate the deep-seeded influences that shape our ever-evolving society. Are we to once again embrace harmony: the shared melting pot experience of being Americans? Or do violent leftist protesters name-calling baseless Russian conspiracies and headless" stunts continue to dominate our political discourse? Do we rise to a new day delivered by the 2016 election or descend further into the polarization that epitomized the last administration?
As Richard and Mildred persisted so we must embrace our collective goodnessdespite these divisive signs of our time. This must happen for the continued well-being of the nation. That means honoring the past not tearing down old monuments; or otherwise opening old wounds with spurious claims like certain lives matter and others dont. We would be wise to heed the Lovingss quiet and dignified example over the ratings-garnering destructive possibility.
David L. Hunter is an Associate Editor at Capitol Hill Outsider. Hes on Twitter and blogs at davidlhunter.blogspot.com. He is published in The Washington Post The Washington Times FrontPage Mag and extensively in Patriot Post Canada Free Press and American Thinker.
