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'Tisn't The Season It Should Be

The WNIJ Perspectives series provides a welcome platform for members of the community to weigh in on the topics of the day. Many of the Perspectives relate to our shared humanity, rather than being explicitly political. 

My first Perspective, in 2015, was a fact-laden but light-hearted rebuttal to Dan Libman’s assertion that the chicken came before the egg. Dan Klefstad dubbed this Perspectives pair the Poultry Slam, and WNIJ is considering making it a Thanksgiving Day tradition.

But these days, as the very fabric of our society is being ripped apart by a political movement that openly sows division, I’m having a hard time finding light-hearted themes. 

Enthusiastically abetted by Russian operatives, we have a president that defends Neo-Nazis and accused pedophiles and blithely promotes racist videos from fringe groups.

Meanwhile, the enablers in the president’s party are ramming through a tax overhaul that rewards only their donors and seems to be designed to hurt public education, science and health care while simultaneously raising the federal deficit. Respected analysts agree that behind this is the ultimate goal of cutting services to the poor and middle class.

Drain the swamp?  Alligators rule the swamp!  And all because of an electoral system stacked in favor of low-population areas.

I have to believe that the pendulum will swing back to sanity, but real damage is being done, so outrage is simply not enough. We need strong, loud, engaged resistance.

In search of a cheerier perspective, I’m Reed Scherer.

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