As the world braces for a tsunami, I’m working to understand this idea of “not being connected” as proposed by a CNN guest. CNN often has so-called ‘subject matter experts (SME)’ to support a given news segment. This morning they played host to a Georgia Tech Assistant Professor of Geology.  CNN’s SME made an academic case for all of the recent earthquakes in Haiti, Japan and now, Chile to be completely unrelated or connected. Really? His opinion got me to thinking about a larger issue affecting our country.

Last I’d checked, we were on one planet and to suggest that what happens on one side of the planet doesn’t affect the other is, in my opinion, elementary. You may as well say that it’s impossible for me to have  stomachache and headache at the same time. When I look at the overall sentiment of our country, I believe we are infected by a condition I call Issueitis – the separation of pressing issues for the benefit of ego. Case in point, yesterday’s political theater of a health care summit. The idea of having a summit on what should be afforded to everyone is beyond me but that’s another issue.

Our inability to see the interrelationship of our most pressing issues prevents us from identifying sustainable solutions thus resulting in endless debate, division and lack of progress. If you were to ask three different people what these recent earthquakes represented, you’d get three different answers. Here’s my take at their responses:

An Apocalyptic: “The Myan prophecies are being fulfilled.”

Religious leader: “God’s telling us something.”

A Geologist: “They’re unrelated.”

What school of thought you believe ultimately rest with what you identify with most. I propose we open our minds to truly understand the world is getting flatter with each passing day, embrace differences and promote solutions instead of division.