Misinformation purveyors are practicing what the ancient Chinese called death by 1,000 cuts.
Every time that some mouthpiece spews lies and misinformation, our country dies a little more. Every time some poorly educated person disrupts a flight, screams “my body my choice” and refuses to listen to immunologists and other doctors and then in the same breath says women can’t have control over their own bodies, another cut is taken from the freedoms our country provides. The future becomes more and more unsure; the promise of America becomes more unclear.
When the zealots of Jan. 6 stormed the bastion of freedom, led by people who call themselves keepers of oaths or proud to be breaking the law and damaging public property like so many vandals, very deep cuts were felt by those of us who truly are abiding by the laws of and love for this country.
Ignorance and fear leach into the cracks of the foundation of what was once thought of as the beacon of light on the hill. Many of us still feel that way, that what this country offered to our forefathers still exists today. Those same ideals of “bring us your downtrodden” are replaced with screamers yelling about murderers, drug dealers and rapists. Much the same was thought about the Italians and the Irish and other cultures, and those same cultures were the ones who built the bridges, hospitals and neighborhoods that comprise our nation today.
Clearly, what is needed more than anything is empathy. That can only happen once the shackles of ignorance are removed and replaced with a willingness to share the bounty of this great nation with others.
Ed Surprenant
Jaffrey