Despite my anxiety over U.S. politics, I welcomed the New Year with fingers crossed. I hope the country’s anger will subside and neighbors become civil and caring. My New Year’s wish is for a peaceful resolution to war in the Middle East and Ukraine. At home, I hope women nationwide maintain control over their bodies, letting them decide about abortion and keeping them from being abused by the opposite sex. I want marginalized populations to be recognized for their contributions and self-righteous narcissists to stop shooting innocent schoolchildren and party revelers on the street.
January 1st’s shootings were wake-up calls not to be naive. It isn’t surprising that gun owners want to use them. Starting the year with horrendous murders is a testament to the anger and depravity that exists in our cities. The land of the free is filled with people convinced they know what’s best for themselves and everyone else. Their unwillingness to compromise shows up in acts of violence. They kill rather than talk, having forgotten that discourse is the way to solve problems. Fighting leaves impressions that can last for generations.
The issues of the day revolve around who is in control. Anti-abortion believe they have a God-given right to control how women give birth. Narcissists disparage the uneducated and use their wealth and influence to maintain control of the media. Militias on both left and right think a civil war is the only way to gain power and make the country great again. Great for whom? The billionaires? Will they bring back slavery that incarcerates marginalized people and force them to work without pay?
Though the internet is lauded as a tool for communication, in the wrong hands, it’s a weapon for terrorists and malcontents. Malicious rumors get spread with ease, seeding hatred and keeping people afraid. Businesses use it to manipulate customers into purchasing their products by inflating the benefits of using them. Talking heads on news channels discuss democracy without practicing it. Politicians ask for donations in their fight for social justice without believing everyone is deserving. Neighborhood associations lost control of their neighborhoods. They can’t stop the noise pollution from leaf blowers and carpenters hammering seven days a week from dawn until dusk.
Despite the nation’s many problems, my fingers stay crossed. I hope people will look beyond their own interests to those of people they may not know. I hope they realize that no one is free unless everyone is free. My fingers are crossed that federal funding for social programs will not be cut and that my grandchildren will find living wage jobs with benefits that will see them through retirement. They are crossed in the hope that one else in my family will face an armed shooter.—two are enough. I hope never to see an angry motorist give me the finger for driving the speed limit.
We can choose to maintain the status quo or make changes for the better. This year could be a good one if we pay attention. Find out who profits from the information you’re fed online. Question why a one-pound package, nine inches long and six inches wide, costs $700 to send from Oregon to Nebraska overnight via FedEx? Isn’t it outrageous that water bills are 30 percent higher in municipalities that subcontract management to private companies? How is it possible that Purdue Pharma was able to start an opioid epidemic with Oxycontin?
The reason such things occur is that we don’t pay attention. We bury our heads, hoping someone mysterious benefactor would look out for our interests. It didn’t happen, folks. A resolution to search for truth and not blindly accept the word of politicians and marketers would be a good one to add to your list. Whether or not you are religious, following the commandment to love thy neighbor as thyself would do wonders for the nation. Though worthwhile, it is hard to do, yet it’s why we must try.
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The Water Factor was written to demonstrate how companies profited by taking away their right to clean water. It shows the evolution of a young man whose eyes are opened to unfairness and who is determined to do something about it. It also follows a businessman profiting from selling water and how he gained a conscience, leading him to help the young man. Though a work of fiction, the novel is based on fact. Paying attention to how your community manages its utilities is the first step to taking back control.
The Water Factor is available in ebook, paperback, and audio formats. It can be purchased on AMAZON, Barnes and Noble, and Powells Books Online at https://www.powells.com/book/the-water-factor-9798869362940
and as an audiobook on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. Ask your bookstore to order a copy from Ingram. Please leave a review on Amazon.
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