No matter where you get your news, whether it’s from television, the internet, newspapers, or even social media sites, the stories they select to publish are designed to keep you watching, clicking, or listening.  That’s why you hear so much about violence and crime across the airwaves and in print.

Exciting stories, disasters, and criminal acts make the headlines, while feel-food stories, which are on the networks and media outlets, often get pushed back to page 2 or in the Lifestyle sections, separated from the bold print and “Breaking News” banners that are positioned to catch your eye.

Unfortunately, this tends to give a distorted view of the state of the nation today.  It seems that daily there are hordes of White Supremacists marching down the streets of some city, spewing hate and inciting violent acts along their way.  Or maybe, it’s a group of masked Antifa “counter-protesters,” armed with sticks and shields looking to drive alt-right supporters out of the town they own.

If you take a look at what is going on in south Texas in the aftermath of the flooding and wind damage caused by the lingering effects of hurricane Harvey, you can see the real America on display in countless acts of kindness towards neighbors, strangers and others caught up in the catastrophe.

While alt-right and alt-left were in conflict in California, whites, blacks, Latino and almost all other races on the planet were cooperating together to save thousands of everyday citizens trapped in flood waters, or providing food and shelter for those forced to abandon their places of residence as well as travelers stranded on flooded interstates and in closed airports.

The amazing thing is that no governmental agency put out a call for those individuals to react.  Not even a private firm was involved in getting them out in terrible and dangerous weather conditions.  They went because they were wanting to help those who needed help.

Take a closer look at the police and first responders, many of whom have been abused and refused service at restaurants just because they wear a uniform.  They still went out into the teeth of the storm, while it was still raging, to offer assistance and rescue operations to many of those who carried signs and marched in the then-dry streets to condemn them.

Of course, it was their job, but they didn’t have to work 16-18 hours at a stretch.  They do it because they believe it is the right thing to do.  And they were joined by thousands of ordinary citizens, with boats, kayaks, and four-wheel drive trucks, who also ventured out to save lives, even while risking their own. They don’t care if those needing assistance are black or white, rich or poor, Democrat or Republican.  They don’t even ask.

Millions more across the county are sending money and supplies to help the citizens impacted by Harvey to get back on their feet after the waters have receded.  Large corporation are opening up as shelters for displaced persons, as are churches of all denominations, schools and other facilities.  They know we are all in this together.  And it’s going to take a while.

In other words, all those people from different walks of life and different philosophies and differing opinions are working together as one, something many would have us to believe was not possible.  Some will soon try to assign blame for the hurricane, or the lack of adequate response, or some other conjured reason to politicize the recovery efforts.  But right now, human nature in all of its glory, is on display in south Texas.

Houston will recover.  It may take a while, but they will, with everyone’s help, rebuild and get their lives back to normal.  Mother Nature can strike with vengeance and fury.  These types of disasters show us what we can do when we work together.  It’s a pity we can’t seem to learn how to apply that knowledge.