I again am moved to speak from a personal place, a place from the heart.
As a parent, I am concerned about the devastating narrative around this current political season.
When my children came into my life, I never knew I could love so intensely, and as a young father, I channeled that love to create a safe and healthy environment and craft a future for them.
My efforts in the founding of Less Cancer have required many personal sacrifices that did not seem so tough to do only until recently.
I have spoken to small and large audiences, from high schools to Universities. I have walked my shoes off my feet on Capitol Hill and state capitals around the country to educate lawmakers, draft and support policies that can help prevent cancer and save lives.
For me, this work is of particular importance and personal, since many dear to me have been stolen away by the dark shade of cancer. Since I started my work in 2004, I have always felt there could be anything worse than cancer. Today I feel like hate may have become an equally dangerous curse, giving cancer a race for the most devastating disease.
I think back to the long hours driving around the country working to protect the health of all of our children. As a parent working towards a healthy future for our children's children, in my mind, there was no choice it was all about protecting the future of the next generation.
I am sickened and disheartened that America has provided a stage for this lip-licking, blood-thirsty hate feast we are witnessing, which seems indiscriminate - everyone is fair game.
I remind myself I am blessed by thoughtful and kind people I meet every day. It is that kindness I wish to protect and nourish. Just like preventing cancer, I want to push back against the destruction which feeds the flames of human suffering.
People I have never met give me endless encouragement and cheer the efforts of cancer prevention onward! They have seen real change - policies enacted, individuals, families, and communities making strides because of Less Cancer's efforts. Each day those people restore my faith in the human race.
However, I worry that all of that work will be compromised as well, as daily we hear the bashing of anyone from the disabled, people of color, women and even to children, all getting thrown under the virtual bus for the benefit of a sound bite or a tweet.
I also see the suffering that comes with lies and hate in this particular climate, and I wonder what have I done? Have I invested all I have into a world that no longer cares about the condition of the human race?
We have lost sight of who we are and what we represent. This is not the America our parents and grandparents worked so hard to develop.
For that we look to our roots as a country, finding our strength in our love and compassion - not our ability to hate.
If we can work on anything together lets work to battle hate and not each other.