If you are a sensible person who is fed up with all the hatred, violence and unproductive divisive nonsense running rampant in all media these days, then please, go out and vote.

Don't vote for just the president. Educate yourself. Know who's who amongst your representatives at each level: federal, state and local. We can only address these issues through consistent, informed decisions that we are given the opportunity to participate in on a regular basis.

If you are complaining about the state of the union and yet refuse to participate, you might as well be screaming your woes at a brick wall. I understand that education levels are pathetic, that there are hurdles to overcome if you want to sift through the murky crap that all major sources of news are ejaculating onto their front pages, yet I see educated people turning blind eyes to problems they'd rather be blind to.

I understand there are those who are unjustly denied, through whatever means, the right to pitch in on our collective decisions on who best represents us, but there are many who have every chance to join in on this one act that defines a republic, and yet decide that a few messages on social media are enough to assuage their grievances.

I understand that there are significant portions of our population that are patently denied a chance to achieve the American Dream, yet feel innately that there is some way they can break into it despite their circumstances.

All may be created equal, but you have to be born on the right side of the scales. America used to be called a melting pot, yet I fear it has become a crucible, something to burn away any perceived impurities. This is not the country I thought I was growing up in as a child. This is not a country in which I feel our future pursuit of happiness is a guarantee. This is not a place where there is widespread tolerance and respect on either side of the aisle, the respect that is so desperately needed to run the sort of political enterprise we find ourselves under.

And this is not an "If you don't like it, get out" kind of statement aimed at those who are trying to educate via media like Facebook and Twitter. Inform yourself; involve yourself; inform and involve others. Some won't listen. Some will deceive themselves with the notion that they don't matter, while others will run amok in the false confidence of superiority that ignorance so often foments. To those who despair of hope, we can always cling to one scientific truth: One grain of sand isn't enough to make a difference to us, but two hundred million grains of sand could smash a trumpeting bigot's head.