That Can’t Be True.....Can It?

By Valerie Maez

It seems like everyday you wake up, catch the morning headlines, and mutter under your breath, that can’t be true.

Literature is filled with writings on how everyday folks find themselves shaking their heads in disbelief of current events. Some do nothing and go on with their day, some get sucked into false narratives, as propaganda forces spin events that compel them to take sides before they are fully informed. Others take a more cynical approach to wait and see which side seems to be the winner. And then there are the few, you might call them the three percent who really have been paying attention all along. Might be a few Oath keepers in that bunch. Certainly, some Patriots.

With all the psychological head games playing out by colossal competing agendas, it’s sort of hard to tell these days. Back in the colonial days, it was also hard to tell who would stand up. George Washington’s ragtag army managed to defeat one of the most powerful forces in the world. America was fortunate that mass communication didn’t exist then, as we probably wouldn’t be sitting around discussing current events. The existential threat to our Republic today is distraction. The old adage about Rome burned while Nero fiddled seems apropos these days. Our recent local election illustrates that point. Slightly more than a third of eligible voters chose to participate. Yet, all property owners over in Mancos will be paying a mill levy of twice the previous amount. Apparently, the local citizens are content with how their schools are being managed as no one seemed inclined to run against the incumbent Board of Education members. Is it bliss or just apathy that allows for a minority of voters to make decisions? Entrenched bureaucracies have an extensive playbook when it comes to managing meetings to circumvent good civics. They just out last any efforts

at meaningful reform. A low voter turnout could be a sign that voters feel their votes just don’t matter, especially against increasing evidence that elections are subject to compromise.

My husband and I make a point of always having time for coffee together before the day begins in earnest. When our daughter was young, it meant being early risers, but that quiet time before outside forces demanded attention, gave us a shared perspective. Recently, he received an email from a trusted contact detailing news that Joe Biden’s Administration was entering negotiations to offer almost a quarter of a million dollars a person for illegal immigrants who were separated at the border from their families. This was two days ahead of the news cycle that announced it. I shook my head in disbelief when he shared it with me. I remember saying, “That can’t be true, can it?” Even with everything else that has occurred in the past year, it seemed to be just too outrageous to consider.

A friend of ours likes to say, “the Calvary isn’t coming, we are the cavalry.” There is a sense that sentiment is resonating along with a real concern if there is enough of us left to mount a rescue from a government that has decided it holds the power to decide what rights we have, rather than adhere to how our Constitution and the Bill of Rights defines them.

I don’t think we really have any other choice but to try.