Anger doesn’t serve anyone well. By definition, it’s a terrible emotion to harbor.
an·ger /ˈaNGɡər/ (noun) -a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.
Nothing good there. So, if we could avoid it, we should. But the thing is we aren’t. According to the latest research work by IBM’s Watson Health polling, we’ve not been angrier as a country, at least in the survey/polling age which started in the 1930s. Think about that one for a moment. Theoretically, we’re angrier as a country today than we were during World War II. Clearly something isn’t quite right in our society. According to the Watson findings, 84% of us are angrier than we were a generation ago. In fact, 42% of us say we’re angrier than we were a year ago.
As a pragmatist, I take a step back and observe reality which includes, record low unemployment for all minority groups and overall unemployment at 50-year lows. I see record high wages, record high home ownership, the average person earning far more than a year ago, etc., it just doesn’t add up. On the other hand, I see elements in our society doing everything possible to cause division. Colin Kaepernick suggesting the flag is a racist symbol? That Betsy Ross shouldn’t be recognized? Nike going along with it? Seriously? What’s wrong with people? It’s truly inexcusable. Were it not for that flag and the people who fought for it, you never would have heard the name Colin Kaepernick and we wouldn’t be free. Here’s the irony. Just me countering that real-life example of divisiveness will cause a certain element that identifies with Colin Kaepernick, over reality, to become angry. That’s how this works.
Anger isn’t healthy. But then again, it’s probably American. The very liberty we recognize was brought to us by a bunch of angry revolutionaries. Those angry revolutionaries gave Colin Kaepernick the opportunity to make millions of dollars espousing anti-American BS, they gave Nike the ability to pay agitators like Kaepernick millions to be what he is and someone like me the ability to call him out for what he is.
As Toby Keith sang in Angry American, "We’ll put a boot in your ass it’s the American way", indeed it is. To all enemies foreign and domestic. Celebrate your independence and realize that being angry isn’t ideal.
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