Things will get worse before they get better.

Societal rot has brought us here. I’ll skip the divisive situational overview and get straight to the point. What is happening to our politics is a symptom of the decay in community, moral values, and the belief in a greater good that extends beyond our own self-interests.

I was fortunate enough to grow up without computers, cell phones, and endless television programming. Every holiday and every birthday was celebrated at home with extended-family get-togethers. We went to church together. We helped each other build sheds, homes, and patios, make repairs, and we sweated together. My pop’s family garden, my grandmother’s fruit orchard, and a well-stocked fruit cellar kept jarred goods on the shelf all year. We talked and shared our daily lives with one another. This togetherness extended to the community through pig roasts at the Betty Zane Community Center, annual street fairs on Richland Avenue in Warwood, West Virginia, countless parades, and gatherings to line the streets and watch the high school band march through town.

All that is gone now, a distant memory. I’ve been retired for more than eight years. I’ve watched the decay of our society in slow motion. I feel for the younger generations that did not know the sense of community, the moral standards, and the pride passed down by our parents, grandparents, and community elders.

I served as both an Army officer and a federal civil servant throughout my adult life. These institutions had high moral and ethical standards. I believe in something greater than ourselves that serves the public good. On many occasions, I had to put my career and even my life in harm’s way to do the right thing and help others. These are the higher values that made the United States of America a shining beacon of freedom throughout the world. One person can make all the difference.

How many family members do you know who have become estranged from one another because of their political beliefs? Family estrangement takes a heavy toll. In retirement, I have dedicated much effort to understanding how we got here. I can say this with confidence: Many people who hold opposing political beliefs are, in fact, good people. This is what makes the political environment in which we now find ourselves so baffling. Witnessing the greatness of our country collapse in slow motion—along with the concurrent, systematic deconstruction of our democratic institutions and the senseless destruction of our country’s goodwill, reputation, moral standing, integrity, and trust throughout much of the world—is hard to swallow.

Here’s the hard part. This fracture in our political discourse and the damage it has caused are not reversible. What is being torn down will, by necessity if nothing else, be replaced by something much different. A contracting economy, unchecked deficit spending, an unfair tax code, and the loss of faith in the rule of law and our institutions all fuel a populist call for extreme change.

If you think those currently disenchanted with the Trump Administration will come flocking to an opposition party that champions open-ended government handouts, you will be sorely disappointed, at least here in West Virginia.

At every opportunity, I ask those who have supported the Trump Administration why they will not support the Democratic Party. In a word, the answer is resentment. The Democratic Party’s preoccupation with championing open-ended government handouts is the primary driver of this resentment. There are other reasons, for sure, but this is unquestionably the standout. The rise and acceptance of socialism within the Democratic Party during the 2026 primary elections just reinforce this resentment.

Our Constitution is grounded in a right to self-determination and promises a fair chance to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. It does not guarantee that the government is responsible for feeding, clothing, and putting a roof over a person’s head indefinitely—period. Existing open-ended government entitlements are grounded in the Public Good Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which gives Congress the authority to fund such programs. What Congress gives, it can take away. Consequently, who you choose to represent you in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, and whom you choose as President, matters. In short, given a choice, the average West Virginian will choose a candidate who supports fascism over a candidate associated with socialism every single day of the week. Don’t take my word for it. Just look at the composition of the West Virginia House of Delegates, where just 9 of the 100 seats are held by Democrats.

I believe to my core that neither fascism nor socialism is a solution. I believe our existing Constitution, our fundamental right to self-determination, and our current form of government will prevail over these extreme political factions. But this will happen only if the electorate actively exercises its citizenship by 1) stepping forward and running for public office, 2) voting in every election—including the approximately 30% of citizens who do not currently vote—and 3) offering voters an alternative outside the extremes of our broken two-party system.

Things will get much worse before they get better. In the interim, find community through local civic organizations, try to connect with others in a meaningful way, volunteer, and feed your spiritual beliefs. Good and evil exist in this world and living an ethical and moral life will not only help others here, but it will prepare you for what lies beyond.

What the United States of America transforms into from here is in our collective hands. Don’t sit on the sidelines for the 2026 and 2028 elections, for you are now living through one of the most consequential times of our lives.

Be well,

Lou

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