My new book is coming out. Here’s an excerpt.

Manhood is a fraught term, these days.

It is about machismo and bullying, but it’s also about basic kindness.

It is about anger and guilt, but it’s also about learning and loving compassion.

White men, in particular, get a lot of hell from liberal circles, these days. So much hell that a majority of them, saying, hey I didn’t do it, I’m not racist, I don’t have it so good—helped elect a truly racist corrupt joke of a President who’s been doing his worst to eff up our whole country, for allllll of us.

It ain’t right to run from guilt, and vote for a bad human, but it also ain’t right to accuse an entire gender or shade (as Jane Elliott would put being “white”) of fundamental sin—no matter how understandable and justifiable that anger is.

Accountability is necessary. Examination of privilege is necessary.

Then, too, healing is necessary. Helping boys learn that displaying empathy, vulnerability, kindness, a love of dance or art is awesome.

Working together is necessary.

So let’s stop warring with one another and unite around equal rights—around honesty—around caring for “the other,” whether that other is an immigrant, a houseless woman, a progressive Biden supporter or a Trump-voting man.

Let’s protect and improve our healthcare, and establish safe streets, and well-funded education so as to provide that most basic of patriotic inspirations: the American Dream, that if you work hard and smart enough, you too can make a good life for yourself and your loved ones.

Let’s promote access to journalism and facts, not merely opinions, as one of our essential, basic rights—what FDR called the Second Bill of Rights.

We gotta turn our nation toward decency—toward a society where all of us can live together. After all, we have no choice.

Even the heartbreakingly bloody Civil War didn’t “get rid” of that command: figure out how to live together.

The above is an excerpt from Waylon H. Lewis’ forthcoming book, It’s Never too Late to Fall in Love with Your Life: Practical Buddhist advice for Everyday Life. It’s 365 quotes, with commentary, one for every day. Pre-order it here and save $5.