It seems there is a lot of anger going around. A recent poll conducted by NBC News, along with Survey Monkey and Esquire, found that 49 percent of Americans say they are angry more often than they used to be about current events.

White people are the angriest (54 percent compared to 43 percent for Latinos and 33 percent for Black Americans), while Republicans are more angry than Democrats (61 to 42 percent).

In fact, 77 percent of Republicans say they get angry once a day, as compared to 67 percent of Democrats.

Thus, it is no surprise given how news is presented to "provoke" attention.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says: “During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation.”

People say they are angry over “what’s happening to our country.” They are also angry about traffic congestion, masks and local county solid waste. That doesn't mean their concerns are not valid. It could be that we are training society to believe the only things they can do is "scream" or get irrationally angry. It's easy to blame and condemn. It's hard to have a constructive discussion on how to solution solve absent of frustration.

A little anger once in a while might not be a bad thing, but prolonged, intense anger is toxic, and any campaign based largely upon anger seems constructed on an extremely unstable foundation.

I have a friend who has a sign on his desk reading: “He who angers you, controls you.”

It certainly would be a shame if anger wound up in control of this great nation and our community.