I have bitten my tongue so many times over the past couple of weeks my chin is bloody.

The whole confederate flag debate. Donald Trump. Greece and its financial issues. Puerto Rico and its financial struggles. Dylan Roof. Minions in McDonald Happy Meals using inappropriate language.

Pick your poison.

Because there a whole bunch more out there that I could list. It makes me tired. Everyone has an opinion and we know what opinions are like.

At the end of the day all of us want a few basic things. We all want our kids, our spouses, our friends and family to be safe. To have enough to eat, and to have a safe place to sleep. We want to be able to go about our business on a daily basis without fear of violence. It really is that simple.

And it really is that difficult.

I don’t have the answers. I wish that I did. All I know is that I try to keep my family close, and I try to treat everyone the way that I want to be treated. And I am sure that that is easier for a 6′ tall man of my size. But it has worked for me for decades. Catechism class taught me the Golden Rule well.

Even with the way that the shoobies drive around here.

None of us is different from the other. We all want the same basic things, regardless of what the politicians and pundits tell us. Every time I listen to the news, or to an interview with a politician I keep asking myself, “What are they trying to get me riled up about now?”

“What are they trying to draw my attention away from?”

Smoke and mirrors, kids…..smoke and mirrors.