By James B. Ewers Jr., Ed.D.
When I was young and had a fever, I always felt a bit different. Things weren’t normal. I wanted to get back to my normal way of feeling.
You know when things aren’t right. It doesn’t feel right, and it doesn’t look right. The COVID-19 pandemic comes to mind immediately.
We saw many people wearing masks and taking additional health precautions. For example, we had to keep our distance from each other when we were in line.
Hand washing became a priority. At every juncture, we used hand sanitizer. Restaurants had fewer people. People were simply afraid to go out to eat. Staying at home became normalized.
Places of worship had fewer people attending. Those who normally attended church listened to the messages online. I would opine that there are still people who haven’t returned to in-person worship services. They have gotten accustomed to being at home. That’s just sadly, today’s reality.
I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s a timeless expression we have used to describe unfamiliar circumstances. However, I believe we can put our finger on what is happening in America today.
Several unusual things are occurring now. First and foremost, we are afraid of each other. We are fearful of what people will do or say.
Just a few days ago, I was about to enter a customer service waiting area. There was one person already there reading a magazine. When she saw me, she immediately jumped to her feet and left.
Was that a coincidence of her being ready to go? I don’t think it was. I think it was simply her uneasiness.
The political divide in this nation has never been so drastic as it is now. Our views on most things are now clarified — and even glorified — by our political affiliation.
There is unspoken angst about political talk these days. There is no more political banter about the possibilities of compromise. There isn’t an avenue for healthy debate.
The talk is all negative and mean. People have attitudes about their political leanings. Succinctly put, our America is in trouble.
In some communities, people are afraid to go to work for fear of being jailed. As a result, our economy is suffering. Work is a time-honored tradition in this country; however, right now, we have a stoppage in some circles.
The American public is tight-lipped and hurting over issues of the day. We are like ships passing in the night. Threats and intimidation have ruled over our rational thinking.
We know that there is a government shutdown. Some federal workers are in danger of being furloughed. Paychecks once certain aren’t so much anymore. Federal funding is being withheld from certain states in our union. We know the term, the divided states of America, and that is where we are right now.
It will be interesting to see how long our government will stay shut down. Remember, we are talking about the most powerful country in the world. Both political parties have their reasons as to why the government is closed for business. This is a heavyweight battle, and there is no referee.
Senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, said, “A shutdown gives the executive branch pretty much complete freedom as to what parts of the government to fund and what parts not.” Representative Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana and Speaker of the House, blames the Democrats.
Well, both sides are entrenched in their beliefs, and we, the people, are on the other side of the mountain. Cooler heads may prevail in the coming days. Pain and suffering are equal opportunity maladies. They don’t have a bias toward who it affects. They could not care about whether you are blue or red. America, are you feeling uneasy yet?
