Reuniting America

I fear that our general population is having less and less in common with one another, or at least feels like they have less in common because Americans are spending too much time in the virtual fantasy world of the Internet. They are not spending enough time actually talking to one another face-to-face and getting to really know them (or even talking on the phone where you can hear each other's voice tones and better understand not only what is being said but how it is being said). This is making it easier for politicians, media personalities, and even our adversaries to pit various groups against one another with lies and propaganda spread throughout the virtual and cable channel worlds. So here are a few proposals to address this:

Replace the current "Selective Service System" with a "National Service System" requiring all young people to register at the age of 16. This will be followed by a required one year of National Service when a person turns 18. We can have a discussion on how that service may be fulfilled or postponed, but we need to start re-instilling in our young people that life is not about them but about serving others—and their country! This will also serve to get our younger generation talking with each other face-to-face and learning from others with different backgrounds as they share their common service experience.
Establish English as our official language. The majority of our population is only fluent in one language – English. Like it or not, the reality is the American Dream is in English. Also, our human nature causes us to be suspicious of those who do not speak our language. (Can any of you really say that when you hear some random people speaking a foreign language amongst themselves you never wonder if they are talking about you, or worse, plotting something nefarious?)
Eliminate references to hyphenated-Americans and instead refer to those of different heritages as "Americans of [fill-in-the-blank] descent." By using the current standard of putting heritage first, although it may conveniently use less words, I would argue reinforces psychological divisions among us leading many to not view one another (or even themselves) as rightfully full-blooded Americans.
Eliminate the various "heritage" history months which although well intentioned, again, serve only to psychologically reinforce our ethnic differences. How about having an "American Heritage" year where Americans of all backgrounds are equally celebrated for their accomplishments?
I would love to have a discussion on the need for demographic data on every survey we seem to take these days. The Government and other organizations are constantly telling us we need to be ethnic- and color- blind but everywhere we turn we are constantly asked to identify our color and ethnicity.
We really need to get serious about regulating social media as I believe it is poisoning our society and risks turning us all into a bunch of selfish narcissists, or even worse, violent criminals. Social media also has enabled the rapid spread of conspiracy theories, gossip, insults, and even threats which has not only caused polarization within our country but even within many of our own families. I do realize that social media does have some societal benefit, but at this point I personally do not think it is worth the cost. According to one 2020 report, 64% of you may agree with me (https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/10/15/64-of-americans-say-social-media-have-a-mostly-negative-effect-on-the-way-things-are-going-in-the-u-s-today/). More discussion and action are definitely needed on this.
Turn off your 24/7 talking head programs disguised as news!! This is something you have the power to do right now! These people do nothing but make you frustrated and feeling helpless about things you have absolutely no control over. So why continue to torture yourselves and those around you? These feelings can often lead to depression and anxiety which can lead to unnecessary verbal clashes with friends, family, and strangers, or worse – violence! (See my "Mass Shootings" section.) So again, the one thing you do have the power to do is stop complaining, tune out these programs, and start paying attention to the people and community around you where you can make a positive impact! In other words, start putting more effort into your personal relationships because they matter a whole lot more in life than what some talking head has to say, or some ignorant social media post says, or some streaming imitation news service you subscribe to says that is tailored to reinforce your fears and prejudices.
Stop contributing to partisan candidates! If you really believe that both parties are failing America, why would you contribute to their campaigns? Is it because you believe your partisan representative is fine and should stay in office but everyone else's needs to go? Is it because you believe no independent candidate has a chance in a two-party system? I hate to tell you but these are the attitudes that have gotten us to where we are today—with two leading candidates that the majority of Americans don't want to vote for. If you really want to see political change, now is the time to take a stand. You have the power! So save your money, or donate it to charity, and vote for me!