Young, enthusiastic, dedicated, he came from Midland, Texas to do what Americans do – support the candidate they believe in.  There are thousands of volunteers who have interrupted their daily lives to race around Iowa each doing the same – giving of their time and money in support of the candidate of their choice to make the United States of America better by being personally involved in our political system.

From Dr. Carson’s website:

Omaha, NE - January 19, 2016 - One of the precious few joys of campaigning is the privilege of meeting bright young men and women who are so enthusiastic about their country that they will freely give of their time and energy to work on its behalf. America lost one of those bright young men today. I had the privilege of knowing Braden Joplin personally, and am filled with a deep and profound sadness at his passing. While we mourn this profound loss, I am thankful that our other campaign colleagues, Drew McCall, Aaron Ohnemus and Ryan Patrick Shellooe, have all been treated and released from the hospital.

A presidential candidate asks a lot of his or her volunteers, working long hours in the cold, under-appreciated. They are the unsung heroes of the political process. The outpouring of support for Braden and his family from fellow candidates, as well as their staffs and volunteers, demonstrates that life will always transcend politics, and I thank them for their kind words. Please continue to keep Braden’s family and friends in your prayers as they struggle through this difficult time.

Even after more than 30 years experience counseling parents and family members in the most difficult of times, it never gets easier. But I find solace in the knowledge of God’s redeeming grace, and I pray that Braden's family finds comfort in the mercy of the Lord. Across America today, I ask everyone to take a moment to reflect on the preciousness of life and remember and honor the memory of Braden Joplin.

Let us also take time to reflect on and appreciate all of the volunteers working on behalf of each of the candidates.

Dr. Carson has commented in the debates and often in his campaign that we need to strive for a higher level of civility – especially related to people we disagree with.  He has noted that you need not look past the fifth comment in so many blogs to find commenters trashing the main article as well as one another.

Even with this tragic event, in Fox News’s comments (and I am sure others as well), while most are expressing prayers for Braden’s family and friends, sure enough, the mentally ill are there with sick supposed humor and degrading comments about Braden, his family, and Dr. Carson.

We have a long way to go to reach the level of mutual respect that should come naturally in a great nation such as the United States of America.  It is up to We the People, acting individually, to teach the message that along with the extreme good fortune of being Americans comes the personal responsibility to treat others the way we would like them to treat ourselves.

Thank you, Braden Joplin, for your service to our beloved country.

Grant Giske can be reached at grant@wooska.com.