Please note: This is a rebroadcast of an episode that I ran in 2023. Because we are still in the political chaos, or perhaps worse, I feel it is important for us to remember that we can have a voice, we can turn this tide and we can bring unity to our beautiful U.S.A. by turning from the chaos to the reasonable and unifying voices.
I was excited to sit down with former senator and house representative, Don Coram, from the Western Slope of Colorado today. Our conversation focused on a frank and honest discussion about how we can begin to turn from toxic political division in America, and toward unity and healthy discourse with civility.
When asked how we, in the USA, have gotten to this point of malignant polarization, Senator Coram offered his opinion based on his experience as a lawmaker and a citizen. He tells us that we now have elected officials who are being rewarded for bad behavior. We've turned a blind eye to the fact that these people are not concerned about the future of this country, or the issues we are facing, but rather on making a name for themselves.
When asked how we can fix this situation, he replied that when the voters get sick of the extremists on both sides running the show, we will become more involved in the changes that need to be made. He encourages people to get involved by having dialogues with people who think differently. Calling on his own experience in authoring bipartisan bills in the Colorado chambers of government, he believes that regardless of party, most of us see things the same way about 80% of the time.
One of Senator Coram’s passions is educating our youth on our history, all of that. He calls this education without indoctrination and reminds us that if we do not know our history (especially the not so pretty parts of it), we are bound to repeat our mistakes.
Some of the organizations that are helping to spread the word on unity over party are listed below along with their websites. Also listed below is contact information for our musician, Gabriel Tafoya.
Unify America at https://www.unifyamerica.org/
Unify Montrose at https://www.unifymontrose.org/
Restore the Balance at https://www.restorethebalance.org/
Country First at https://www.country1st.com/
To catch up with Gabriel Tafoya, the composer, producer and performer of the song "The Pivot" on this episode, go to gtmeanboyz@gmail.com
The website to connect with Laura Padgett is https://lauralpadgett.com
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