Choices

I recently heard someone say "At the end of the day we are all just the sum of all the choices we make over the course of our lives". It got me thinking about the choices we make every day, from getting out of bed, to choosing what to eat, to life-altering choices like marriage, having children, or the causes we choose to support with our time, money, or even just our thoughts. I'm at a crossroads, deciding whether to make the choice to speak out or spend the latter part of my life enjoying the fruits of my labor. I've worked and served throughout my adult life, hoping to retire with peace of mind. I believed I had given all I could by investing in the next generation by trying to set a good example through words and actions, and striving to be a good leader and more importantly a good person. I thought I could rest easy now, knowing everything was in capable hands and that the next generation would carry the torch and make things even better! I imagined I could travel the world, enjoy beautiful sunsets on stunning beaches with a clear conscience, and think happy thoughts. I have made my choice!

I thought that the damaging and negative traits of the previous generation, which caused immense suffering through arrogance, ignorance, and overt racism, had either been learned from and overcome, or at least diminished. Sadly, I was mistaken. The remnants and legacy of that destructive generation persist today, now controlling each branch of our government. They drafted and are implementing a manifesto in Project 2025 (at least read the summaries if you can), they hide in plain sight under the guise of maga (I refuse to capitalize it) and they don't all wear the silly red hats. They have found new ways to impose their distorted vision of what's best for US by systematically eroding confidence in the institutions that form the core of our democracy. They are aided by a mass media empire (Fox) and a tech giant (X) that bombard the airwaves and the internet with disinformation and misinformation that use snippets of truth to push an extreme agenda that benefits the few and not the many! They claim they want to improve and streamline our government by eliminating entire departments, reducing bureaucracy by firing people, and by placing unqualified yes men in top cabinet positions and over key departments like the Department of Defense (Hegseth--really!!)! I know our government may be too large and not as effective as it should be in some areas, but having a billionaire with dubious intentions in charge of a fabricated department, and allowing him to take a chainsaw (see elon at the recent CPAC) to our institutions will do more harm than good! I am also disturbed by discussions of replacing and privatizing some of our institutions will only provide business opportunities for the ultra-rich, and we know how much they care about US! They prioritize profits, the bottom line, and avoiding taxes (with their creative tax strategies, you and I end up paying more taxes than many billionaires and Fortune companies, and I'm retired!). Their companies lobby for no regulations so they can operate with impunity and further harm the environment and reduce their workforces with massive layoffs! Indeed, giving the ultra-rich more power and control over US is certainly going to make America great again (if it ever truly was).

I recognize that I can be somewhat idealistic about how our government should function to serve the people. However, as I recently reminded a close friend, I willingly made the choice to give 20 years of my life defending and upholding the ideals and principles of the Constitution. My service does not give me more rights or a louder voice than others, but it makes it very personal for me, as I refuse to believe I supported and defended a lie. History shows a continuous power struggle among the branches of our government, with each sometimes appearing to have more control than the Constitution intended. Yet, this situation feels different, as the Executive is taking over all branches and trying to suppress any and all dissent. This resembles the tactics of autocratic leaders like Putin, Kim Jong Un of North Korea (where the people view him as a deity), and Viktor Orban of Hungary—our current President sees them as role models and friends! His autocratic leadership style is irreparably damaging our foreign policy and alienating relationships with key allies with his so-called deal making expertise--note the fiasco meeting with Zelenskyy of Ukraine just the other day!! Autocratic leadership and authoritarianism, both focused on centralized power and control, do not align with democratic processes. We must now choose to voice our concerns and protest this direct attack on our democracy. If we allow this to continue, we may find ourselves living under a system that does not respect or value our democratic freedoms.

At times, you must choose a side before knowing who will prevail. I've made my choice and decided to express my thoughts and opinions openly. I genuinely hope and pray that I'm wrong and that my viewpoint is merely an old dude's rant. I hope I'm wrong and that the chaos of our current situation is actually a step forward in the evolution of our democracy, ultimately strengthening us. I hope I'm mistaken and that our democratic freedoms aren't at risk, and that we're not reverting to a mythical time when some believe America was supposedly great. If I'm wrong, I apologize in advance, but I will never regret my choice to speak out.