We can do it if we do it together.

Some believe another Civil War is imminent. I say it's already started.

And why you might ask, has that happened? The why, I'm certain, looks pretty obvious and simple to some, while to others it is not that cut and dry. I would say there are a lot of factors that have led us to where we are today.

One of those is political parties who have gotten out of control. Parties that no longer seem to care what is best for "we the people" but rather spend their time lining their pockets, arguing, and of course - "being right". Even though they can't all be right all of the time.

Another factor is main stream media. In their drive to sell, sell, sell - they seemingly have determined the only way to get ahead is to embellish, be more colorful, outlandish and even outright lie from time to time.

In the media realm, we absolutely cannot leave out social media. It has definitely become a double edge sword. Good for some things, but an outright disaster for others. It has made it easier for people to gossip, spread half truths or yes, again, spread lies. It makes it very quick for those utilizing it to show how they feel about something, even when those reactions might need to be toned down a bit or maybe not shown at all.

Every day someone is hitting that "share" button without checking to make sure what they are "sharing" is factual. It sounds real, so it must be real - right? Nope.

And as if we didn't already have enough challenges determining what is real and what is not - someone decided to come up with AI (artificial intelligence). Again, a bit of technology that utilized correctly could be a wonderful addition to our world. However, at the same time, it has already been used for the "dark side" as it were. I think it should have a watermark that cannot be erased so those seeing it will be able to see right away it isn't "real".

Even though I have worked in the world of media most of my life, today I shake my head almost daily. I am at the point even I don't want to hear what is going on in the world. There is so much hate and discontent I don't know how anyone can smile these days at all.

It seems like every single day there is something horrible going on somewhere. Don't get me wrong, I know the world is not all sunshine and rainbows. But, it would be nice to hear more positive than negative. It's no wonder there is so much depression in this giant world we live in. And unfortunately, depression and other mental health challenges are something no one wants to talk about.

How is it that the biggest elephant in the room is the one nobody can (or should I say wants) to see?  I would say a great percentage of the crimes in this country are committed by someone who is in a mental health crisis of one thing or another.

But what do people do? They turn their heads. They close their eyes. They change the subject. It is rare that someone steps up and says "what can I do to help". People don't want to get involved. They don't want to be bothered.

Shootings is a perfect example. There are some who would blame the weapons, but weapons have been a part of this country since time began. They have also been misused since time began. Someone loses their temper. Someone doesn't live in reality. Someone has been bullied and finally pushes back.

A gun, a knife, a car - whatever the choice of weapon - they cannot hurt someone unless they all share one thing... the involvement of a human being.

And, it is getting worse as the years go by.

People get desperate. People disappear in to a dark abyss of depression. People let their temper be their guide. They may not always think about the consequences of their actions. They are living in the moment, or maybe even far away from the moment.

We have lost the art of communication - so while someone is right there beside us fighting against demons we cannot see - we don't know because we don't communicate. We don't really listen when someone is speaking or telling us how they feel. We utilize words that are hurtful and cut deep in to one's very soul. We definitely do not choose our words carefully.

We say what we think and what we want - because our freedom of speech says we can. I don't believe the men and women who fought for that right believe it's okay to use it willy nilly as it were. I think it is doing them a real disservice to not use that freedom tempered with respect and care.

The only way this Civil War can be stopped is for "we the people" to step up to the plate and say "no more". For "we the people" to work together, to respect each other's differences, even when we disagree. Yes, we can do it, if we do it together.