What’s Really Happening to Our Country?
The signs aren’t good. The two major political parties aren’t just disagreeing anymore—they’re treating each other like enemies. Every move seems to be based on the idea that the other side is being led by villains.
Take redistricting, for example. With the 2026 midterm elections coming up, both parties are playing the game in plain sight. In Texas, Republicans are redrawing maps to their advantage. In California, Democrats are doing the same. On the surface, it looks like these actions cancel each other out. But that’s not the whole story.
Other states are jumping in too. Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana, Florida, and Kansas are moving in ways that favor Republicans. New York, Maryland, and Utah are pushing maps that give Democrats an edge. The old rule—that redistricting happens every ten years after the census—has basically been tossed aside. Now it’s all about raw power. Once that line is crossed, it’s hard to imagine going back to a process people can trust.
And that’s just one piece of the puzzle. Political leaders are ramping up the rhetoric, painting the other side as not just wrong, but evil. Words like that don’t just disappear—they fuel anger. And in some cases, violence.
Think about what happened in Minnesota. Vance Boelter is accused of stalking and murdering former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, then attacking State Senator John Hoffman, his wife, and even targeting their daughter. Investigators are calling it an act of political violence.
Then, only months later, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University. His podcast reached hundreds of thousands of listeners each week—he was a national voice. His killing shocked the country and, just as quickly, turned into another flashpoint on social media. People weren’t just mourning—they were blaming or justifying the heinous act.
Sadly, these aren’t isolated incidents. From the assassination attempts on Donald Trump to the firebombing of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home, we’ve seen a disturbing pattern of political violence over the past couple of years.
Without question, there is no justification for murder or for any form of political violence!
After Kirk’s murder, Utah’s Republican Governor Spencer Cox said something worth remembering: “We are either ending a dark chapter in our history, or entering a new darker one.” He warned that if we’re waiting for a president or a governor to calm things down, we’ll be waiting forever." He added, "Leaders need to consistently back up their words with actions to help stop the cycle of violence. Right now, that’s not happening."
From our view, this is good, but not nearly enough. We need other elected leaders to take a stance similar to Spencer Cox. So, here’s the question: what’s next?
It’s easy to focus on what we hope will happen—that somehow things will calm down, that people will pull back from the edge. But if we’re honest, the forces driving this anger and violence are still with us. And thanks to the speed of the internet, reactions are instant, amplified, and often extreme. Like Governor Cox warned, we might be stepping into an even darker chapter.
That’s why it’s worth asking: what role do we play?
Governor Cox chose to speak out, to push for civility and respect, even when he knew he’d take heat from both sides. We recognize his words and actions as a unifier with a green light. That kind of leadership matters. It’s a reminder that every one of us has choices, too. We can add fuel to the fire—or we can help rebuild trust, one conversation, one action at a time.
So I’ll leave you with this: if our democracy is going to survive this storm, it won’t just be because of what politicians do. It will also depend on what we do—as neighbors, citizens, and fellow human beings.
Lee Rasch
