Published on August 29, 2026

as people living in a fairly comfortable country, turn into foul mouthed, bigoted bullies? We live in the United States of America. Our country used to be the model that many other countries wanted to emulate. We were the keepers of truth and respect. Countries looked up to us. They wanted to be us.

Now we see the Karens (not my choice of names- not even sure how that came to be) – both female and male strolling into restaurants and stores screaming over the fact that their burger had too much ketchup or the clerk said their coupon had expired. They take to the counter and throw anything they get their hands on to the floor – running to the racks of clothing proudly displaying the fact that this was made in a black woman’s business, and because for some reason that irritates them, they toss the racks and the clothing scatters everywhere. When did this become okay?

We used to respect the laws. Now police are faced with demanding teenagers and so-called sovereign citizens spitting and screaming and name calling. We have a president who urges Proud Boys to march to the Capitol and fight fight fight.  And then he watches on tv as police officers are crushed between doors and a hangman’s noose is fashioned while the insurrectionists are calling for the vice president to be hung. Our Capitol is vandalized with flags on poles being used as weapons- busting through windows with glass shattering all around. And the president is laughing as he watches from the safety of his guarded rooms in the White House while others who were out trying to do their sworn duty, were so devastated in the aftermath that some felt suicide was their only escape from the nightmares that followed.

We have goons roaming the streets with fully masked faces – shooting people in the face and grabbing people from immigration office doors to detain them. Detention Centers set up with deplorable circumstances housing children sleeping on concrete floors. Senators and Congressmen and women are turned away from the centers that they have lawful authority to inspect. Who gives them this moxy to go against our laws. And when did “immigrant” become a dirty word to a country made up of 98% immigrants?

I had the pleasure of volunteering for a short time at an immigration intake center in Tucson. (Sadly losed in January 2025). Tucson is only an hour away from the Mexico border, so it was a natural place for that. The immigrants were checked in and escorted to a first aid room where they were caught up on immunizations and given a general physical. They were then shown to their “room” which was actually a cell (this was a former juvenile jail building modified) with a concrete block to house a mattress and a toilet and sink. They were shown to the shower room to freshen up and given a couple outfits of new and used clothing donated by the Tucson community. They were polite and generous with their thank yous as they went through the dinner line (where I was assigned) where even more of the Tucson community had donated food and crock pots and such. Every evening meal consisted of milk and juice, green salad, vegetables, main dish, tortillas and cookies for a dessert. There was no negative activity or talk. Just everyday people visiting and helping travelers to our country.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs8cRivViWcNIx5arlnYXYg

And for those of you who want to bring up an article about an “illegal alien” (another term I detest) who committed a terrible crime, may I refer you back to your president who basically committed treason with his enthusiasm and encouragement of the “march” on the Capitol and is absolutely responsible for the injuries, deaths and suicides that followed. Not to mention (but I will) the 3 million dollars it took to restore the Capitol building and add more security. Guess who pays for that?

When did it become okay for a president to ignore judges orders, make up his own interpretation of the constitution, lie tens of thousands of times, ridicule anyone who asks him a question that he cannot answer, and become such a narcissist that he knocks down a wing of the White House without authority, fashions plans to have a golden statue of himself on the grounds, wants to demolish the Kennedy Center and build an amphitheater with the outer portion being named for him “Trump Plaza”. I could go on and on, but I do not have that much time. Okay, I will just take this moment to casually mention the Epstein files. You can let that one simmer for a few minutes.

When we have a president who builds the path for lies, coverups, treason, lawlessness, rudeness and just outright idiocrasy – well, Meryl Streep said it best ““Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence. When the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.”

That is where we stand right now – we are losing. Losing allies. Losing respect. Losing our rights. Losing our tempers. Losing our humanity.

Let’s hope that come the November ’26 elections and the November ’27 elections, that we have not completely lost our minds as well. Think before you vote.