Choices in tough moments

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What's going on when you advertise your services as a chance to run away from the irritants of life at home? Apparently there is profit in scratching the itch of discontent.

We're a disheartened bunch. Former Congressman and former Republican Adam Kinzinger writes about the state of mind that goes with this:

According to a recent Gallup Poll measuring public confidence in institutions, the downward trend is striking:

Great deal of confidence:

    • Religion: 2001: 23% | 2024: 13%

    • Big Business: 2001: 10% | 2024: 6%

    • Supreme Court: 2001: 32% | 2024: 13%

    • Banks: 2001: 17% | 2024: 12%

    • Newspapers: 2001: 13% | 2024: 7%

    • Congress: 2001: 10% | 2024: 4%

    • TV News: 2001: 14% | 2024: 6%

    • The Presidency: 2001: 26% | 2024: 13%

Another report by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) compared Americans’ trust in each other. In 1972, 46% of respondents believed “most people can be trusted.” By 2022, that number had dropped to 25%.

This is where Trump’s influence looms large. His movement has been built on popular mistrust—not just in institutions but in fellow citizens. He reinforces his "only I can fix it" narrative, the foundation of his autocratic ambitions. ...

We can and should argue about what got us here, but we actually know the remedy: we can build trust among our own circles and among those with whom we live. Kinzinger concludes:

It starts with each of us, in our communities, rejecting fear and embracing compassion. Together, we can work toward a more united and resilient future. 

As Dr. Marin Luther King asked in another moment of choice: we must understand we face Chaos or Community?