Today is Memorial Day, when we stop to honor all of those brave souls that gave their lives so that we can enjoy our freedoms today.

But stopping for one day each year is not enough. They died protecting us from foreign enemies; how tragic it would be if our final destruction was caused from within.

If we truly want to honor their memories this Memorial Day, we must heal the hate and division that is destroying the very democracy they fought to preserve.

I have traveled all over our great country — 46 of the 50 states — and I have met honest, decent, and hardworking Americans wherever I went. Some were rich; some were poor; most were somewhere in the middle class. I have met and worked with people of all races, religions, creeds, and sexual orientations. I count as close friends many Democrats, Republicans, and independents. We are truly a melting pot!

I have found that we all have something in common: We are faithful. We all love our country. We love our children and want to leave them a better America than we found. We all want to live the American Dream.

We saw a great tragedy this week when 19 children and 2 teachers were gunned down for no reason. This tragedy has illustrated both our divisions and our unities. Democrats want to reform our gun laws to ensure that people who are unfit cannot get these weapons. Republicans want to provide teachers and schools with tools needed to defend our children.

A great debate is playing out before us.

But let’s not lose focus on the big picture: ALL Americans, BOTH Republicans and Democrats, want the same thing: To protect our children and reduce gun violence.

We may disagree on HOW to reach these goals, but let’s remember we all want the SAME RESULT. And when you really think about it, almost every issue that is dividing us today comes down to the same thing: we want the same results, but just differ on how to reach our goals.

As we remember our fallen heroes today, let’s remember that they died to ensure our democracy, and being a democracy means that we all have a equal voice, and that we must work together and compromise in order to reach our goals.

So, exactly how to we really honor those brave Americans who gave their all?

We STOP attacking each other.

We STOP calling names and using labels to divide us.

We STOP listening to those politicians and pundits who use hate and division for their own profits and agendas. It’s easy to point out our problems and blame the other side.

We START looking for REAL leaders that offer solutions instead.

WE START listening to those with different opinions and respecting their positions. We might not agree, but at least we can learn to understand why they feel that way.

Let’s spend this Memorial Day thinking about how we can do better. THAT is how we honor those who paid the ultimate price to give us so much.

May God bless our fallen heroes. God bless America. And God bless us all.