Imagine sitting in your living room; the dog rushes in from outside and barfs on the carpet. Everyone sitting around has a different reaction — some look away, others throw up their hands and say it is not my problem.

You grab the paper towels and clean up the mess, but a big stain remains. That will take longer to remove and you hope no one visits until it is gone.

Also, the dog needs to understand that behavior is not going to be tolerated; it needs to be taught to be considerate of others. And we need to look for signs that lead up to barfing, such as distress and gagging. Those undesirable behaviors need to be blocked from entering the house.

Well, America, we have been barfed on. So, let’s roll up our collective sleeves and get to work. We will not tolerate behavior that will leave a permanent stain on our beloved country. Imagine, visitors coming to our country and wondering why we have not cleaned up the stain, or why we tolerate such bad behavior. After all, it does reflect on all of us.

The task may seem unattainable, but it has to be done to restore our cherished America.

Carole Richards, Livermore