I haven’t written for a very long time. There is a reason. I was motivated to write this blog after a grocery store experience I had a few weeks ago.

I was in an express lane where the sign said “15 ish items or less.” I counted my items, and I had 16. The gentleman and clerk ahead of me were not moving quickly, and a woman came up behind me with a look that said, “I’m about to blow.” As the line moved forward and I started to place my groceries on the aisle belt, the woman behind me unloaded on me about how I had violated the number of items for this aisle. She was angry. The store clerk gave me a look that bordered on sympathy and confusion. I loaded up my groceries and turned to the woman and said, “I hope you can find some peace in your life today.” 

Why am I telling you this? For the past year through Covid and the post-election of a new President, I am continually stunned at the hatred being spewed through verbal and non-verbal communications. There are, of course, the Trump 2024 flags waiving by as I drive the streets of Boise. These signs seem relatively benign next to the F..K Biden signs, piss on Biden car appliques, and the vision of an eight(ish) year old wearing a t-shirt with a picture of President Biden that says “not my President.” Let’s be clear; this young child does not have the brain reasoning to tell you what it is or isn’t that he likes or doesn’t like about President Biden. This is about parents teaching their children early in life to share their disdain without the knowledge, skills, or capacity to process complex issues. And right now, as a society, we have lost our ability to listen to the real concerns and experiences of others – especially those who are outside of the narrow paradigm in which we view the world.

I, like many others, am struggling to make sense of what is happening to the institutions I used to trust – especially the courts. Growing up as the child of a father who, as a lawyer, loved and respected the law, he stressed the importance of our independent decisions makers. I always had faith that our courts would protect our democracy – the highest calling. Today that faith wavers. 

I wish I had answers. I don’t. What I do know is that we should all fight like hell to ensure that all eligible voters can vote – without hurdles, discrimination, and interference from immature and self-serving legislators. Voting, free and fair, is what keeps us from autocracy. Pay attention to who is appointed or elected to the courts – locally, state, Federal, and the US Supreme Court. Who sits in those coveted seats is vital to the protection of our freedoms. This is not the time to be passive and sit idly by as if you have no power. Ground swells start from the bottom up. If nothing else, I hope this blog may spark you to think about what you are accepting because it is easier than taking action – small actions have impact!