President Biden gave his first State of the Union address on March 1, 2022. In my opinion, he gave us a whole lot of sound bites that will never see the light of day in his life let alone mine or my children’s. Why is that? Well, we have a power struggle going on in every aspect of society.

First and foremost, the two parties are not working for the American citizens. They have chips on their shoulders, wanting their agendas on the table not considering anyone else’s. The days of negotiations, across the aisle handshakes are forever a thing of the past. The generation of wealthy politicians holding office is keeping the work of democracy at a standstill. The idea that heckling the President is an acceptable practice for any political party says the lack of respect for the pomp and circumstance is lost to a bunch of crybabies.

Second, I appreciate President Biden’s addressing the current state of the war in Ukraine. Most of the information coming from the media is confusing and overwhelming. However, the fact that he is doing his damnedest to keep our troops from making that trip and setting up camp for another war that we won’t win is commendable.

Nobody wants a dictator like Putin to succeed in taking any country. The sooner NATO gives Ukraine the pass to become a member the better. Our priority as a democratic country is to make sure the innocent people of Ukraine and Russia are given a chance to survive what might well be the war to destroy Europe.

The third topic on President Biden’s address was our economy. As each of us watches the scales of wealth tip in the favor of the richer and we try our hardest to make ends meet. Looking at your grocery bill three months ago double in cost and lessen in purchases. I have heard a lot of predictions of the recession and the hopes of better days, but will it happen and help the people that were devastated by the pandemic economically and emotionally? Many of us are dealing with a loss of a loved one due to the pandemic and the social-economic situation is not giving us reasons to trust anyone in Washington DC.

The last thing that gave me pause in his speech is his plans to bring this country back on its feet. We all know far too well that the Build Back Better Bill is not going to pass, neither are many of the other bills buried in the halls of Congress. While the people in Washington DC are trying to address voting rights, abortion rights, and human rights, the governors in some of these United States are taking the country back into the 1950s and before. No one is safe anymore, if you are not a straight, white, male, republican you might as well never leave your house.

I was hoping that getting back to normal political discourse was going to energize the country and the polarization of the Trump era could be washed away like a good rainstorm. Not a chance, there are way too many of them in the mainstream and we are doomed until the media and others stop watching and waiting for the next headline to make its way into our social media.

This is an election year, and many are dreading the ugly political fighting that is going to start in the next few months. We might have made our decisions on whether it is even worth the effort to vote. Don’t waste your vote or not use it. Whatever your beliefs, find that one true politician that you can put some trust in. Read, research, ask questions, volunteer, and get active in politics. The only way to save our country from itself is to be a part of it, not a spectator.