This morning one of my Facebook friends posted a message for all to see, writing about a billboard that was recently put up in her town by a group of small business owners. The ad was a picture of George W. Bush with the question, “Miss me yet?” Not being a fan of Barack Obama, her comment was, “How interesting!!!”

Politics aside, I think there’s a larger point here. It occurs to me that we have turned insults and inuendo into an art form. It seems as though in order for us to feel good about ourselves we have to say bad things about other people. And we choose to associate ourselves with organizations hell-bent on widening the gulf between where “we” are and where “they” are on issues that affect our daily lives.

Please take a moment to consider the following:

The people you insult and dismiss today are the same people who are going to rush into the burning house to save your family tonight when the fire breaks out. When you lose your job, the person who hires you will be the same person you called an idiot last week because you didn’t like what she said in a newspaper interview. The Muslim man you call a terrorist, not because you have inside information but because he “dresses funny and wears a beard” will be the same man who sells your family food from his grocery store. The politician you call a socialist will be in his hometown this weekend volunteering at a homeless shelter. The person you call a racist tomorrow, without any proof of your claim, will be the person that donates blood to help save your daughter’s life after she’s hit riding her bike.

Soren Kierkegaard said, “Once you label me you negate me!” And so we call someone a name, dismiss him or her as insignificant and ignorant, and then move on with our day, as if our thoughts and words have no real impact. We call the president a marxist and then go make a sandwich for our son. We go to lunch and talk with our friends about the disgusting dress our coworker wore that made her look like a tramp! And then we go back to work and fill out the report for the next day’s meeting. We go to a rally on Saturday to spew venom about our fellow citizens and then go out with our family for ice cream, getting home early so that we get some rest before going to church the next day to ask for forgiveness for our sins.

This has got to stop! Divisiveness, anger, cruelty and insults are not a game that we can play without repercussions to our country and to our lives! There is no victory in using shame as a weapon! Calling people names does not bring us honor! There is no consolation in contempt!

Do you remember what happened in the aftermath of 9/11 when we all came together as one people, one America?

That’s the energy and spirit we need going forward.