When the Unthinkable Becomes Routine

These days, it’s nearly impossible to have a conversation without acknowledging the collective unease so many of us are carrying. Something is off…deeply off!

Politics has never been the focus of this column. "Unpack It" was created as a space for reflection, connection, and possibility…not division. But some moments demand that we speak plainly, especially when silence feels like complicity.

Here in the U.S., the political landscape is more than polarized…it’s destabilizing. Troops on the streets of American cities. Leaders framing dissent as insurrection. States defying federal rulings. And what once might have sounded like dystopian fiction is now, unmistakably, our present reality.

And the scariest part? How quickly the extreme is becoming routine!

We are being conditioned to accept what would once have outraged us. Our sense of shock is wearing thin…and numbness is taking root. Hope seems to be retreating in the face of fear.

What’s happening isn’t just political…it’s psychological. And what’s most chilling is how many people seem willing to embrace the unraveling. When greed is glorified, integrity becomes a liability. When cruelty is rewarded, compassion is endangered. This isn’t only about who holds power. It’s about what we, as a people, are willing to normalize.

The very fabric of democracy is being tested. Not just by those leading, but by how eagerly others are choosing to follow.

So here it is. A departure from my usual tone, perhaps. But these aren’t usual times. This is not about left or right…it’s about right and wrong. It’s about whether we still believe in empathy, in truth, in holding the line when everything we value is at stake.

And whether we still have the courage to say: This is not OK!