Build It Up or Tear It Down

I get it. Some voters are disillusioned due to the lack of affordable housing, inflation, and low wages as they struggle with a host of other challenges while feeling left out and left behind. Seeking a scapegoat, they blame it on the president of the United States, who can influence, but not control, the economy.

So what is the solution to these dilemmas? Taking action by uniting with other individuals or organizations that can actually do something, or complaining about all of it to the hairdresser?

When I worked in the intake office at the Kansas Human Rights Commission, we frequently fielded calls from employees who were having problems with their supervisors. They rattled on about telling their troubles to their therapist, their spouse, their best friend and their mother.

“Have you spoken directly with your supervisor about these issues?” we would ask, knowing that the reply was almost invariably “no.” I can understand the fear, but never heard anyone report that they had been fired following a respectful discussion. Because the people who were able to summon their courage never called back, we could only assume that they reached a solution or explanation they could live with and didn’t need the Kansas Human Rights Commission anymore.

Unfortunately, this country is currently divided not along the lines of political…