WS Chronicle

By James B. Ewers Jr. 

One of the time-honored expressions that I use is, ‘Tough times don’t last but tough people do.”

In the opinion of many Americans, we are living in some tough times. Now, of course, there are some Americans who believe we are living in the best of times. It is almost like Charles Dickens’ novel, “A Tale of Two Cities.” Well, I guess the analogy is that we live in a tale of two Americas.

The America I live in has its citizens scrambling for health care. After months of verbal harangue, Congress at best has given us an unsettling path. Health care seems to be out of reach for too many Americans. The Affordable Care Act passed during the Obama administration gave us a plan for implementation. Was it perfect? No. However it gave us an opportunity to be seen by a doctor and to go to a hospital.

The America I live in is being looked at with a very critical eye when it comes to our foreign policy. Many Americans and world leaders are questioning Mr. T’s [President Donald Trump] decision on Jerusalem. We will have to wait on the fallout and ramifications, if any.

The state of Alabama is being watched for all the wrong reasons. Of course, it has a championship football team, but it is losing its moral compass. Roy Moore, who has strong child molestation allegations against him, still admits to no wrongdoing. I believe Moore had a taste of bad drinking water and it has made him lose his mind.

Maybe we can say the same thing about a lot of Americans now. They have simply lost their way and their ability to think has been compromised. In too many circles now, reasoning and civility have become optional and not mandatory. Parts of our country are now officially mixed up.

Men who we held in high esteem have been lowered to the hall of shame. John Conyers, longtime congressman from Michigan, stepped away from his seat amid a sexual scandal. [U.S. Sen.] Al Franken in his resignation speech from Congress chided both Mr. T. and Roy Moore. While some thought it was clever, I did not. If you had kept your hands to yourself (my mama’s expression), you would not have had to make that speech.

Where we find ourselves today all started in November 2016. The impossible was made possible. Why? Because we didn’t think a man who was heard on tape disrespecting women could possibly become the president of the United States of America. In addition, just think about the number of women who came out against him accusing him of sexual misconduct.

So, with that said, many of us stayed at home on Election Day and didn’t vote. We thought our neighbors voted so that made up for us not voting. Well, our neighbors didn’t vote because they thought we would vote. Thus, nobody voted! So, here we are near Christmas 2017 in pain and in shame.

How are we operating in America now? It seems wrong is right and evil is good. You see some of the president’s men cracking under the pressure. Some are now in the crosshairs of the FBI. Some are going to jail, albeit a federal prison, but jail nonetheless.

Michael Flynn, former National Security Advisor, has entered a guilty plea for lying to the authorities. He says he will cooperate fully with the FBI. Flynn will probably cooperate with anybody if it will save him from going to jail.

As we know, Mr. T’s group has an addiction to everything Russian. It is now clear that the Russians at some level interfered with the most recent election. It is my opinion that in the near future all of the sordid facts will be disclosed.

Mr. T. Jr. has testified before Congress and a member of Congress said that he has selective amnesia about the facts. All of these men including his son-in-law, Jared Kushner will take a fall soon. In some ways they will be like Humpty Dumpty. They will not be saved.

We who believe in right before wrong and good before evil must hold on. It is a bit dark now but a brighter day is coming. As believers, we know who is in charge and he doesn’t reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Like Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions singing group sang, keep on pushing, I can’t stop now. Move up a little higher, some way some how.

James B. Ewers  Jr. Ed.D. is a former tennis champion at Atkins High School in Winston-Salem and played college tennis at Johnson C. Smith University, where he was all-conference for four years. He is a retired college administrator.  He can be reached at ewers.jr56@yahoo.com.