What the Heck?

Where did the American soul go? Our leaders, great and small, local and national, and I use that term leader with great despair, are exemplifying all of the worst characteristics of third-world despots.

What happened to civility? I've heard members of the Legislative branch threaten and insult members of the Judiciary. Multiple members of the Executive, serving and former, threaten additional violence and sedition, lying and cheating in violation of the public trust. Threats of violence and harm are cast about as if they were every-day events. For some reason, it has become an expected behavior to claim fraud and deception if you don't get your way.

Where is the rule of law that protects us all? Certainly, the United States has never been a perfect country. We are, after all, a nation of individuals, each with our own prejudices, beliefs, and morality. But, over time, we have overcome any number of seemingly insurmountable issues. We've come a long way, with greater distances yet to travel toward the goal of 'all men are created equal'.

We began national life with half our states adhering to slavery as an inherited and necessary way of life. We overcame that. We continue to battle with the aftermath. The key word is 'continue'. The proof is in the pudding. A man of color has served as President of the United States a mere hundred and fifty years after the end of slavery. Each step forward is progress; not fast enough for some and too fast and too far for others.

We began national life with women treated as the property of their husbands, with little say in their lives and unable to hold property or hold meaningful employment. Today, a woman holds the second highest position in government, and many others are leaders in industry. Much yet, remains to be done. But we continue to move forward.

Heretofore hidden and shamed citizens are gaining the right to live out of the shadows, enjoying the same rights and privileges as any other American. Various members of the government and military are free to serve, regardless of life choices and styles. There is light at the end of their tunnel. It remains far away. But there is progress.

But wait! There's more! Inexplicably, elements of our population suddenly feel that this progress is wrong. All men are, in fact, not created equal. They threaten the very fabric of our republic through their vociferous, disruptive, and intransigent belief in 'their' view of the state of our nation. Apparently, only white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, heterosexual citizens should enjoy all the rights guaranteed by the Founders in the Constitution. Any other interpretation is unacceptable. And their battle to move backward is gaining traction?

Has our nation fallen through a black hole into an alternate universe? What the heck? This must stop before the wheels of freedom come off and we crash into the past.