America: Where do we go from here?

Where do we go from here? Listen to that again. Where do we go from here?

Does anyone truly know the answer to this question?

There are an abundance of opinions, theories, and ideas about what America’s next step should be. But does anyone really, I mean really, know what this country should do next?

The founding fathers created a complex design for government with full faith that we could handle the troubles that would come our way.

I mean we are the United States, right?

The country that started out with just 13 colonies, colonies who themselves valued independence and individual uniqueness. However they became united and won their independence from Britain as one. The nation then struggled through a civil war, battling national division and equality.

Today, much like the more than 150 years that have passed, we stand as one solid nation. We know from the past that we should be able to tackle anything that comes our way. That is what we have previously thought. Now I am standing here asking you, “Where do we go from here?”

Throughout history we have struggled through multiple troubles. It almost seems as though some of these events are repeating themselves. Most of you will remember the polio outbreak. This is similar to the present day coronavirus. The only difference is that when the polio virus stormed through the nation, we took action. We found a solution and now polio cases are few and far between.

Today it just seems as though we can not figure out what to do to attack the coronavirus. With Polio everyone got the vaccine because of the fear that their children would have to live in the iron lung or have a disability the rest of their life. It

Jerry Wiese looks on as Ariel F speech during Thursday’s Vete was scary. Now people are refusing to get the vaccine because it “takes away their freedom.” We are at a point now where many of us often find ourselves asking, “What is going to happen next?”

Sometimes we get so caught up in politics and our own personal ideas that we forget what would help the nation as a whole. We tend to forget those who got us to where we are now.

Those soldiers who fought for our independence and freedom. Those people we honor on Veterans Day. We forget about those past government leaders who had faith in their future generations to get through bumps in the road. Those leaders who had immeasurable struggles such as world wars and economic crises. In today’s world it feels as though the government is trying to please everyone, but as Sholom Aleichem said “You see how it is, my dear friends. There’s

Jackie Loberg|Randolph Times ye reads her Voice of Democracy ans Day program. no pleasing everyone. It’s hopeless to even try, and the more you play the peacemaker, the less peaceful things become.” We know that government leaders need to make tough decisions while keeping in mind what outcome is best for the nation, not people as individuals.

The focus has seemed to change from trust in our government leaders to everyone’s personal opinion on social media. Where once, personal feelings and moments of frustration were safe inside your home, it has become too easy to lash out to the faceless platforms on social media instead of engaging in meaningful discussion in a face to face forum.

That brings me to my next point: social media and the news. How are we ever supposed to know what is true, when every day the story changes? One day you might hear that the troops in Afghanistan are being sent home, then the next day you could hear that more troops are being stationed there.

When it comes to social media or the news today, you never know what to believe, a misleading headline, a photoshopped image, an agitator’s meme. Sure, people have their opinions on how to make America better or what we should do next, but that doesn’t mean that opinion is the only right way to proceed.

We often catch ourselves spending more time arguing about what is right or wrong rather than looking at others’ point of view. We need to start being sensible and open to multiple opinions instead of lashing out at the opposing opinions of others.

So in conclusion, we all know action needs to be taken. Meanwhile, we also need to continue to celebrate and remember those men and women who have gotten us to where we are now.

We have to keep in mind the plan that the founding fathers had for this nation and what impact we want to leave behind for our future generations.

As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles.”

I wish that I could tell you what is going to happen next or where we go from here, but I do not have the ability to do that. So I challenge you to take a step back and really think to yourself where do we go from here?