A Battle for the Soul of America

I was talking to a friend recently about the state of this country and of the world at large.

I generally am an upbeat person, and when I’m not, I try to make a point of changing my attitude and my thinking to something more positive. But what’s going on in the world right now makes this a real challenge. My friend expressed similar sentiments.

It is really hard these days to stay upbeat. Just look at what we’re dealing with. Ukraine and its citizens are being bombed into oblivion by Russia because of its sociopathic leader's claim that Ukraine is full of Nazis. (Note to Putin: the president of Ukraine is Jewish and lost numerous family members at the hands of the Nazis during World War II). And we mustn't overlook his need for power and to rebuild the former Soviet Union.

We just crossed the 1 million dead mark from Covid in the US, with a big uptick predicted in the US this fall and winter. Pandemic fatigue is real, and no one wants to see a resurgence of this virus.

The Supreme Court seems set to overturn 1973's Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion in the United States legal. 

Various states either have or are in the process of enacting legislation that would make abortion a criminal activity for both the woman and the physician involved.

Nearly every day brings news of yet another mass shooting somewhere in the U.S. Meanwhile, Congress, afraid of losing votes and the NRA's blood money, sits on its hands and does nothing more than offer useless 'thoughts and prayers.'

Millions of cult followers of the former president, who increasingly damning evidence show tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election, continue to foment discord and threaten our nation's democracy.

Prices of everything are sky high. I know, I know. There are are all kinds of excuses for why prices are so high. It’s a shortage of workers. It’s a supply chain problem it’s the war in Ukraine. The bottom line is, it’s greed. Corporate greed. Pure and simple. It isn't Biden's fault. It isn't the federal government's overspending. While Americans struggle to stay afloat, big corporations are raking in record profits.

The climate change crisis, still largely unaddressed by the world at large, threatens the very continuance of life as we know it. Wildfires have so far destroyed more than 300,000 acres in the West just this year, costing several lives and destroying hundreds of structures. And this is in New Mexico alone.

Locally, what the news media calls the 'crime crisis' continues unabated. Albuquerque just reported its 51st homicide of 2022. Shootings, home invasions and break-ins of people’s cars in their own driveways are commonplace.

So yes, it's often hard to remain happy and cheerful. All of these things that cause me stress and sleepless nights are things that are beyond my control. So what can be done?

I do what I can to help. I donate money to organizations that are on the ground on the border of Poland and Ukraine, as well as working inside Ukraine to provide hot meals to the millions of displaced people. I have donated food and toiletry items for human victims of my state's horrendous wildfires, as well as donating large bags of dog food. 

I can’t do anything about the high cost of groceries and gasoline, but I do recognize how very fortunate I am, so I share what I have with others. I watch in admiration the determination of Ukrainian citizens as they fight the Russian invaders. I watch in awe the Americans who have opened their homes and their bank accounts to Ukrainians who managed to make it to America until they can return to their homeland. One couple featured on the news recently hosted 20 Ukrainian refugees. Another took their refugee guests shopping for clothes. 

There still are good people doing good things for other humans and for non-human animals. But it seems we are losing the battle for the soul of our country.