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Some of America’s goodness comes though in a very un-American moment.

We should all be talking to each other about the murder of Srinivas Kuchibhotla.

His death highlights what can go wrong when we don’t know, understand or care about each other, and what good can come when we do.

 

Last week at Austins Bar and Grill in Olathe Kansas, Adam Purinton approached Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani and asked them what type of visa they had and if they were in the country illegally. (Both were educated in the US and here legally). He also hurled racial slurs towards the two immigrants from India. For a moment, things seemed to get better:

  • Patrons at the bar complained and Purinton was removed from the bar
  • Someone else picked up the tab for the two men

But then got much worse. Purington came back with a gun, and witnesses heard him yell “get out of my country!” He shot at Kuchibhotla and Madasani, killing Kuchibhotla.

  • Ian Grillot tried to intervene and was also shot

Purington ran off and later ended up in an Applebee’s, where he eventually told the bartender that he was in trouble as he had killed some Iranians.

  • She called the police and he was arrested without incident

People worldwide have come together to help the Kuchibhotla family.  Currently, there are close to 18,000 donations. Click here to donate.

Let’s start talking to each other and try to prevent this from happening to other families. Hatred and ignorance are not American values.

Sources

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It’s time we reclaim our common ground

We are responsible for making our political system more functional

Our physical world has two poles (north and south) that are bitter and cold. The vast majority of humanity lives much closer to the equator, in a much more productive climate.

Our political world feels very similar. The current system is set up to force us away from our common, productive ground and into hostile extremes.  We won’t survive such a move and need to do all we can to regain our common ground.

It is up to us, the people, to:

  • Reach out to others who may not share our POV
  • Focus on listening to them with compassion, not judgment (I’ll admit, this one challenges me at times)
  • Have conversations grounded in verifiable facts (If you can’t agree on what is true, either work together to uncover the facts or move on)
  • Admit when you don’t know something, or are wrong
  • Politely agree to disagree when necessary.
  • Don’t focus on changing someone’s view. Enhanced understanding is a valuable outcome
  • Hold politicians from BOTH parties to the same standards. What is un/acceptable for one party should be un/acceptable for all

A broad variety of perspectives in our nation should be our greatest strength, not our most easily exploited weakness.

Reclaiming our common ground won’t be easy, but it is very necessary.

Not sure where to start?

I’ll be posting a variety of views that are honest and heartfelt, not confrontational and angry.

For today, check out the CNN segment Trump gives America’s ‘poorest white town’ hope.

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Want to hear something uplifting?

Have 3 minutes?

Check out this short and sweet story from a well-spoken 17-year-old woman, Hannah Adams. Despite their differences, the folks in her small Kentucky town get along.

How? They listen to each other.

Hear it in her own words