My Heart Hurts

My heart hurts.

It hurts more than it should. It hurts because so much of the world is hurting. It hurts because so much of the United States is hurting, and because so much of the hurt is being deliberately inflicted by politicians and their cult followers.

My heart hurts for the 67 people who died in a tragic collision of an airplane and a military helicopter over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Several of those on the airplane were young -- as young as 12 years old -- and promising figure skaters. Others were parents and coaches, as well as two champion skaters from Russia. Three lives were lost on the helicopter.

To add to the nation's pain, the president blamed his predecessors (Biden and Obama) and the now-canceled government diversity programs, implying that the pilots or air traffic controllers or somebody caused the tragedy because they weren't white and therefore were not smart enough for the job. 

My heart also hurts for the seven people who died when a medical evacuation jet crashed in Pennsylvania. Among the dead was a young girl from Mexico and her mother on their way home after the girl's medical treatment.

And my heart hurts for the millions of chickens and ducks that were killed when bird flu appeared in their flocks. My heart hurts for the farmers who have suffered huge financial losses when their flocks were killed. My heart hurts for the two baby eagles in Florida who died of bird flu. 

My heart hurts for those workers rounded up and deported. Yes, they were in the country illegally, but they had no criminal records and performed vital work. If you enjoy eating fruits and vegetables, chances are good that they were picked by these same people. With no workers -- and Americans are not willing to spend long days toiling in the hot sun -- food will rot. 

As a retired federal employee who served this country for 23 years, my heart hurts for the employees whose jobs are at risk because the world's richest man has decided he wants to eliminate various government agencies.

My heart hurts when I see so-called Christians calling for the deportation of an American citizen, an Episcopal bishop, for daring to encourage the president to treat others mercifully. My heart hurts when I read that Native Americans, whose ancestors have lived in this country for thousands of years, do not have birthright citizenship according to the white Christian nationalists. My heart hurts for the millions of people around the world who have been denied life-saving food and medication because the current administration has decided to dismantle the US Agency for International Development.

The bottom line is, the United States under the current administration has become a heartless, money-driven nation, all under the guise of "Christian nationalism."