Steve Foley

I attended the No Kings rally recently. Like many other folks I was concerned about our nation and went to participate. Everywhere I looked people appeared to be happy to be there. I decided to meet as many people as I could. With each new person I asked, “Where are you from?” “What was the reason that brought you to the rally? And, if I felt they were comfortable, I asked, “What has been your experience with health insurance?” All nine people I talked to were quite willing to share their situation with me.

There is much controversy these days about what is and is not true. People argue and advocate for their own interpretation of truth. Many consider the basis of truth to be “common sense”, that is, the knowledge we assume others believe too. Others appeal to tradition. Or what the Bible says. Or what they can coerce others into accepting if they think they have the power to do so. But ours is a diverse society with many different cultural traditions, religious faiths, and interest groups. We needed to have a way to handle different ideas about what is true without violence.

I recently had the occasion to hear a mother talk about her child who was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. The diagnosis and treatment began several years ago when the child was a toddler. She talked about how his repeated treatments had kept him alive and how recent brain scans were beginning to suggest that he may remain free of cancer. She was extremely happy, relieved, and grateful.

It is election year and I know we all plan to vote. There is much discussion about who to vote for, but unfortunately there is also much talk about the election process itself. The news and social media are awash with concerns about the fairness of elections, election corruption, and the reliability of election outcomes. This is not just unfortunate; it can be dangerous for our democracy.