Corruption

Recently we've been hearing much about corruption. It seems to have replaced fake news as a buzzword in Washington. Everyone in Washington seems intent upon rooting out corruption, at home and abroad. In countries such as Ukraine, apparently some of the reformers who are focused on corruption have been accused, and even prosecuted for, corruption. So how do you sort out fact from fantasy? What's real and what is fake?

To many people this seems like something that really cannot be done. Political fatigue has set in. It feels like you've heard it all and you're tired. But I would encourage you to hang in there and be resilient. What is going on in the country right now is very important to the future of our democracy, to our lives, and to the future lives of our children. If we are to survive as a democracy we have to be able to sort out fake from real and focus on rooting out the real corruption that exists.

I would encourage you to think about the skills and attitudes of resilience. This is a time to be talking with others about what is going on. It is not a time to be silent. Flexibility and problem solving are two of the skills we need to use. We need to be willing to hear out other people and their positions on issues, even if we strongly disagree. We need to be able to manage the strong feelings that we have and not take them out on our neighbors and those who disagree with us.

This is a time when we need to look at the big picture. This is not just politics. It may be the survival of our democracy or its collapse. Take what is going on seriously. Stay involved. Assert yourself. Speak up. And remember the purpose and the reason why you are doing this. And last of all, keep your sense of humor. I can assure you that you will need one to get through the next year.