A return to values is what will make this country great.

Not just when it suits us as has been our way in the past.

Not “Great Again”... but greater than it’s ever been.

We need to apply values to what we have learned as a country; to race relations, to inclusion, to tolerance, to every interaction we have, and we need to do it with sincerity and honesty.

Granted we may need to fake it in the beginning because not all of us have it in us. But by faking it we will make it and eventually it will become part of who we are. We need to move forward, not backward as we have been doing.

We need to have compassion, acceptance, and empathy for each other.

What happened to integrity, truth and honor?

When did we stop caring?

We should really be ashamed of ourselves. The boxes that we have put ourselves in are closing around us so tightly that we can’t see out, and the only opinions that matter are our own.

What happened to walk a mile... and love thy neighbor... or the golden rule? Can we not even treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves? If we continue this way we are in deep trouble as a country, as a community, and as individuals.

I believe in us though, and I have HOPE.

KaeLynn Nelson,

Pocatello