"In this series of essays, author Randy Bell raises questions about what it means to be an American in the early 21st century. Covering a range of issues such as government and its responsibility to its people, international relations, the economy and business, religion, discrimination, and human rights, Bell makes a case for informed discussion and the rejection of knee-jerk responses to complex challenges. These essays are intended to provoke critically needed conversations between family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and political parties. The book is a call for respectful conversations that consist not just of talking, but also listening fully to what others are saying...conversations that help the continual development of each reader's perspectives and opinions. It is unlikely that all readers will come to the same conclusions given our different experiences and life journeys, but it does matter greatly that we work to come to a place that honors those differences, while concurrently allowing us to live peaceful and productive lives in community with each other. For it is in community that there is not only strength, but also a life greatly enriched."-back cover