Message in a Bottle

Standing on a beach near Santa Monica, California, I imagine myself tossing a glass bottle containing a carefully crafted letter into the belly of the ocean. If the waves and the currents are on my side tonight, the letter will reach its intended destination. Soon, I hope, it will be in the hands of someone on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. Of all my wishes for the person who receives my letter, I wish for an open mind. For me, this is of the utmost importance.

I need them to know the America they see on their television is not the truth. We do not live in mansions lining streets of gold. Quite the opposite is true. In fact, many of us rest easy knowing nearly half a million of our neighbors will go to bed each night without a roof over their head. Thousands of us die each year from preventable diseases. Thousands of us die because we cannot afford life-saving medication. In fact, some of us will be forced to make an impossible choice between bankruptcy and life. Millions of us live in constant fear of hurting ourselves or hurting others. Countless numbers of our citizens find themselves gripped by depression or some other mental illness which will only be paid lip service by those with the power to change things.

Once the envy of the world, our political system seems unwilling or unable to solve our biggest challenges. In the year 2020, it seems our way of life is on the…