We Must Do Better

 The world has gone mad.

Palestinian terrorist group Hamas has conducted an ongoing, completely unpredicted and unwarranted attack on the state of Israel, taking hostages including women, children and the elderly, and firing more than 2,000 rockets into Israel in the early days of the assault. More than 1,300 Israelis were killed, thousands wounded. Palestinian fatalities number in the thousands as well. Now the terrorists are reportedly beheading infants previously taken hostage. A humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Gaza after Israel cut off supplies of food, water and fuel to the population, not all of whom support Hamas.

Putin‘s war on Ukraine continues, with the most recent attacks being not on military installations, but on a small Ukrainian grocery store and coffee shop.

The US currently has no ambassador to Israel because some Republican senator decided to block all appointments. Some 300 military promotions are being held up because another nut-job senator doesn't like the fact that female members of the military can get time off their jobs to get an abortion.

The former president of the United States is suspected of giving Israeli military secrets to the Russians, and bragging about it. The Russians are believed to have given it to Iran, a country that is a major supporter of Hamas. This same former president gave highly classified information about the capabilities of America's nuclear submarine fleet to an Australian, who shared it with 45 other people. Why he has not been charged with treason is beyond me. Executive privilege, which he constantly claims protects him from all variety of crimes with which he has been charged, does not apply to treason.

The leading candidate to become speaker of the House of Representatives an antisemitic, KKK-supporting ultraconservative, has withdrawn from the race. Without a speaker, the House, and therefore the entire Congress, is unable to pass any legislation. Aid to Ukraine and to Israel, as well as funding to keep the US government operating, are going nowhere without a functioning House.

So that's the state of the US government, which will cease operation unless Congress gets its act together and passes the legislation required to fund the government in the next 35 or so days.

This is what this nation has become. States banning books. States busing illegal immigrants to northern so-called 'sanctuary cities,' overwhelming those cities' ability to care for the huge influx of people arriving with nothing.

The bottom line is, the Republicans are unable to govern even their own party, much less the nation. Apparently there are no moderate, not-insane, non-MAGAt members of the party. It is time to either vote the radicals out of office, or for the moderates (if there are any) to take control of the party.

All of these things -- Ukraine, Israel, Congress -- have left me feeling incredibly stressed. My sleep is restless. I have trouble falling asleep even after taking a prescription sleeping pill. My temper is short. My tolerance for delays and ineptness is non-existent.

We are supposed to be the beacon of freedom, of second chances, of promises. Right now, we are none of these things. Our borders last year were inundated by 3 million illegal immigrants, with some 9,000 more crossing every day. We are unable to provide necessary assistance to Ukraine and Israel as they fight for their very existence. Gaza, a densely populated area adjoining Israel, is facing a huge humanitarian crisis without food, clean water and fuel. The people of Gaza -- Palestinians -- are victims of Hamas control and brutality. Half of the population is younger than 15 years old.

We can do better. We must do better.