This is our mess

Our leaders look for motives for spiraling internal violence and hatred as polarization of our society continues. Why do Americans surge toward fascism, xenophobia and materialism? These are values modeled by our most persuasive institutions which, emboldened by power and self-righteousness, distort the sharing and peace in the religions, philosophies and constitutions of our cultures, to convince us overwhelming force is sacred.

You see this. Fleeing reality, someone attacks Spokane’s most prominent Jewish symbols. Self-described patriots attack their own government in fealty to a corporate paragon of immorality. The next mass shooting looms, as gun rights outweigh human connections. People rail against inconvenience rather than contain a deadly pandemic.

The marginalized are legally murdered to provide the privileged an illusion of security. To protect corporate profits, politicians and media ignore the treaty to ban nuclear weapons. Washington state parks are surrendered to Navy SEAL practicing their next violation of international law. Our U.S. representative can’t decide if she represents Trump, Republicans, the 5th District, or her loyalists, but joins Democrats in always abetting lethal militarism.

Against better judgment, best interests, international law, human decency, climate science, and common sense, the U.S. chooses violence, military superiority. That’s where our money, adulation and hope go, and where violent motivations arise. Glorification of gory past wars locks in the stupid, endless present wars and fights between neighbors, robbing us of imagination and enlightenment that create peace. This is not up to the next generation. It’s our mess.

Rusty Nelson

Rockford, Wash.