Election 2020: The IRS, The USPS and the Responsible Voter

 

To Present and Future Voters,

It's Friday morning and with nothing better to do, I decided to contact the IRS. The decision was not as random as that sounds. With a missing stimulus payment and a set of April-mailed paper returns hanging out in Government-No-Man's-Land, there was a purpose in the phone call. Besides, what else is someone my age suppose to do while “STAYING SAFE AT HOME”? There is only so much you can clean, plant and bake as we all know.

AN EYE-OPENING CONVERSATION.

I had tried this before with little success, but today was different. Using a phone number from an old IRS notice, I reached a human being within a few minutes. The agent was pleasant and willing to do what he could to help me out. After a few good laughs about COVID-19, he basically said there was nothing he could do to move the process along, We continued to chat for a while and he provided some insight into life inside the IRS. For the first time in a long time, I came away with more understanding than frustration in regard to our chaotic government.

Certainly, I could go into more detail but a few of tidbits from our conversation are below:

• IRS Processing Centers began closing in mid-March 2020 and did not start to reopen until early June.

• At least one processing center received so many pieces of mail that it could not securely store all the returns. The assumption is that the struggling Post Office has securely handled the overload - keeping thousands of pieces of mail in its own facilities. (Hmm?*my reaction)

• While some IRS Processing Centers have reopened and others continue to come online, only 50% of its workforce may be working as of early October.

• Prior to COVID-19, normal IRS operations were estimated to be months (yes, he said monhs) behind due to budget cuts and government shutdowns. Every time the Federal Government shutdowns, employees cannot even enter the building because of the sensitive nature of the information in side.  

• The IRS website clearly states that aid for taxpayers is “limited” and “DO NOT CALL” if you have questions about any mailed returns.

• The country is two and a half months away from the beginning of a new tax year with MILLIONS of 2020 tax returns yet to be processed.

WHY AM I WRITING?

At this point, I have rewritten this part a half dozen times or more. Being a school board representative for six years was a hard lesson in handling political discussion - like dynamite - one mistake and you have an explosion. I want to be clear – I am not here to tell you WHO to vote for. My only purpose is to provide a perspective about government that few people understand – that is – unless they have served as an elected official.

By design, the power of those who are elected is limited. Simply put, their role is to provide direction for government and to supply the funding for its functions.  THAT'S ALL. It should be mentioned here that actual spending is the responsibility of each agency. Funding without direction and direction without funding are two sides of the same poor leadership coin. In my mind its like losing weight. Reducing calories alone without good planning and understanding can jeopardize your health as much as weighing too much cam. The anorexic person can never cut calories enough and the obese one can never satisfy their hunger.  Government is the same. As a voter, you are responsible for seeing that you elect someone who will provide a healthy balance between funding and purpose.  That is your function in a representative democracy.

On August 22, 2020, Congressman Ben Cline (R. Virginia) voted against H.R. 8015 supporting increased funding for the U.S. Postal Service. Even though the bill passed with bipartisan support, it was largely a symbolic gesture and was not acted on by the Senate - being tabled until after Nov. 3^rd. But, what could a lack of USPS funding actually mean for this district?

To take it a step further, if Congress cannot determine how money is spent, it can also not determine how it is saved. Certainly, budget cuts could come from salary reductions for upper management who may have never handled a letter, but they could also mean the loss of mail carrier jobs locally. It could mean the end of expensive travel and conference trips or it could mean that carriers have 5 hours to cover a route that normally takes 6.  As expenditures go, it could mean salary increases for mail carriers and sorting staff or it could mean a few thousands spend on public relations campaigns to make citizen think everything is good when actually it isn't.

So, if I am not trying to tell you who to vote for, what am I trying to do?

The goal here is understanding how your vote impacts what type of government we have in January 2021. Here's a few things to consider.

1. Voting for tax cuts does not make our government more efficient or cheaper. Instead it often leads to raiding its funds for other services - like the IRS and USPS.  It can also mean borrowing money from other countries or syphoning off savings in Social Security. In the end, every day taxpayers pay more in lost services and increased fees for the services they do have.
   

2. Voting for a "Party Loyal" candidate is where government gridlock begins. Do you 'always' vote red/blue? 
   

3. Voting for a "Can't Let Them Win" candidate divides a community. Compromise is an important and necessary skill for any elected official.  Us vs. Them attitudes divide people and allow special interest groups to gain power.  Moderation may not be interesting but it is effective.
   

Well, I guess that is all I can say about this.  Thank you very much for taking the time to read this point of view. I can only hope you have found something useful in it. 

 

Sarah Schrumpf-Deacon

 Former School Board Member

Proud USPS Patron

Very Frustration US Taxpayer

Rights of Government or Abuse of Power? Late Fees in Lockdown

 For the most part, my husband and I have taken this Pandemic thing in stride. We planted a garden, landscaped the yard, cleaned the house and gave up going out to dinner on Friday evenings.  We have not developed anxiety because of our age (high risk y'know) or stressed too much about the postponing of nearly every travel plan we had for the year. In general, we were model pandemic survivors.

WELL . . . 

That was until, life began to get back to normal.  

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to find all levels of government operating as if this was a normal year and refusing to adapt to a different way of life. 

As much as I had hoped to spend the late summer and fall, writing a positive take on pandemic life, my life has been overshadowed by government agencies that are operating fully believing that life is normal and restrictions and flexibility are for others. 

The sad part of this is that the mindset isn't just a single incident but a pervasive attitude that they have a right to be unyielding and unresponsive.  With the Election 2020 just a few months away, one might think there is no real time to make a stand.  As a Virginia Resident, there is always an election on the horizon.  You see, Virginia is one of two states which have off year state and local elections.  

Over the next few weeks, I'll be spending some time preparing posts which I hope with educate as much a entertain those who have a some what skewed viewpoint of how state, local and federal government operate and "abuse" taxpayers in the process. There are so many quirky little things that every citizen should know.  

More Later

In the Absense of Good It Must be Outsourced (Updated)

Twenty years ago as a local reporter, I listened as each level of government made the case for outsourcing its low level jobs to support private business.  Efficiency, lower costs and all manner of other reasons were brought out but the little voice in the back of my head said, "This isn't going to be good." I had no idea, then, that it would only take a unscripted viral pandemic to highlight all the problems that "government efficiency" set into motion. 

In my mind there was, and still is, no substitute for the lady at the front desk who has been with the company for 20 years, or the bottom level jack-of-all-trades that knew more about the company than the person with the big title and matching paycheck. While it might have been a surprise to elected officials, the Great Resignation was ever so predictable as the last highly skilled, excellent memory and thinking skills workers make their exit from today's workplace. It is even sadder that many of these people had to leave it, not in retirement but in a traumatic and sudden death.

What was once a well-managed, highly accountable businesss community is now a complicated network of companies that are so disjointed no one has accountability. it is the person at the front desk, the waitress at the counter or the receptionist at the doctor's office who now listens to the complains and the customer who must live with the errors that are never corrected,, the bills that never come in the mail and the sheer anger that comes into play when the answer is "The computer says. . . . ."

 

The image here was 'borrowed" from a company website Outsourcing Insights.  The website was chosen totally at random and with no prior experience on my part.  And while I may not think much of the practice of 'outsourcing', the use of this symbol in no way indicates that the business is anything but professional. Illustrating the complexity of the outsourcing model better that I could do in a 1000 words or less, the image shows two computer users bridging some type of communication gap with multiple tools and people. 

 

My question has always been - How does involving more people in off-site locations who know nothing about you as a customer save time and money? Perhaps it works for the business but as a customer, I can't quite agree with the philosophy. 

Outsource was a natural offspring of the computer age that was necessary to support a world population that has tripled since the 1950s.  It wasn't about making something better, it was about creating work for all those people who were willing to work for low wages and benefits. 

Tell me again why the single income household is a bad idea.  Certainly, I wanted to do something with my life besides dust and do dishes but it seems like we could have come up with something better than spending countless hours on a phone talking to a person who is simply looking at a computer screen and trying to find an answer to a problem he/she has never even experienced. 

As we get a break from the pandemic over the summer, it will be interesting to see if customer service and call centers will become even more dysfunctional or whether they will actually become helpful. 

As much as I hope, customer service improves, I think it will take more than a few months of forced online shopping to do the trick. 😉

To All My Readers Who Made This Dream a Reality

Practicing Retirement

Update: It has been three years since this post was written. The pandemic changed our retirement plans considerably. Perhaps it is time create the next installment "Surviving Early Retirement".  :)

It was a normal afternoon in mid-July and the phone rang. Like usual, I ignored it expecting for my husband to be calling and telling me that he was working late - sigh - AGAIN!.  The company for which he works has used the generous tax break awarded to them in the last few days of 2017, to go on a massive upgrade of equipment and infrastructure, most of which the maintenance crew must install. My husband is a senior (translation: oldest) member and tends to be the equipment whisperer, often sticking with a project long after quitting time.  It had become commonplace for him to work 6 days a week and a minimum of 50 hours. But this phone call was something totally different.

"They are taking me to the emergency room. I have been in an accident," squeaked the voice into the answering machine. I could tell from the high pitch and rapid words coming from my normally stoic husband that this was more than just a precautionary measure.

"What! Wait a minute. What happened?" I countered as I picked up the receiver to ask a million questions.  Yes, they were on their way to the emergency room and it was only his little finger but there had been lots of blood and they couldn't tell what the damage was.

Six hours and two emergency rooms later, the old boy came home with this tiny bandage and a couple of prescriptions. What was going on here?  The last time he had been injured on the job his whole right hand had been scratched and chewed like a piece of old meat.  What was the deal?

Two days later when the orthopedist examined him we realized this was not going to be a go-back-to-work-in-a-few-days situation  This was going to be a six week practice run for retirement - an experiment of sorts to see what it was going to be like for a man who had worked since he was 16 years old and had answered to someone else's authority for most of those 40 plus years.  All I could do was laugh although you could tell he was not so thrilled about the prospect of staying home with me for that period of time.

A year earlier, I had left teaching on sick leave in the middle of the year and not returned.  It had been a rough transition for me and I expected it to be an even rougher one for him. So, we are taking this opportunity to pass on some advice to those who may find themselves looking at retirement in a few years and not sure how to approach it.

1. Expect to Grieve A Little

While I had my "honey-do" listed primed and ready, my husband's reaction was something more than embracing a chance to do all those things we never seemed to have time for. My husband was lost.  Time off before had been a chance to rest, relax and do what he wanted to do.  Now there was no routine, too much sleep, endless television and the reality that this could be a couple of decades of endless 'freedom'. That became a scary event.  He missed his co-workers. He missed the solitude of the drive to and from work, He missed the hard work and someone needing his expertise.  He had lost something important and for a few days he just thought about that lost and how it could impact his future.  I realized myself a year before that it while I was relieved on one hand, there was a hole in my life. It takes time to fill that space but giving yourself time to do so will make the rest of retirement much happier.

2.  Make Budget Adjustments Prior to Retirement

Regardless of how well you plan for retirement, there will be a shift in how your budget works. If you have been a household of weekly paychecks like ours, suddenly going to monthly benefit checks can be an upheaval.  Even for our short practice session, payments had to be changed. my suggestion is to pay bills ahead to give your budget a chance to ease into the change.  Ideally, you have reduced or paid off all debt but sometimes that isn't possible. Keep your future budget in mind as you consider any large purchases and refinance options. Remember - just because the bank says it is a good idea, doesn't mean it will be right for your future self.  Retirement income does not generally increase over time and even good planning can't keep unexpected events from happening. Be cautious. 

3. Don't Expect Great Changes to Come - Ever!

Like many people our age, we have been planning and talking about retirement for what seems like forever.  We have talked about traveling. We have talked about health issues, We have certainly talked about money and we have talked about ways to fill the gaps that will certainly be there.  Both my husband and I are/were happy in our jobs.  We liked working.  Without that structure in our lives, neither one of us does well. Somewhere about week three of this trial retirement, I realized that retirement could not be that much different than work life for my husband.  It was then that we put some of his work habits into practice at home.  After 40+ years of living with the same type of routine, the chances of us ever doing anything different just increases our chances of being frustrated and unhappy. Yes, we will travel.  Yes we will work less and spend more time reading, talking to friends and experiencing life.  It just isn't going to all be fun.  After all, fun isn't fun if it happens every day.

My husband is happily back to work these days. He is a little slower than before his time-off and his hand is still a bit tender but he is back to normal.  I recently asked him if he had learned anything about possible retirement in a year or so.  He looked off into space and said, "Maybe".  

Personally, I am glad for the sudden long-term absence my husband has experienced.  Those few weeks gave both of us a perspective that neither of us would have had otherwise.  I hope it means that when the time comes, real retirement will be an easy and welcome transition and not a source of concern.  As my husband said, "Maybe".

A Spoonful of Fear: A Prescription for Lousy Leadership

*This article was initially written following the first year of Donald Trump's presidency. While this article is still timely, it now appears that climate change and COVID-19 have taken the place of abortion and immigration in the spoon feeding habit of political leadership.  Like the quote below, fear is a poor motivator to do anything, especially something that needs to be done well.  SJD

The old professor was short and wiry.  He leaned on the lectern with a stance perfected over years of marathon talks in front of uninterested students.  His voice was terse and unforgiving. His manner was not one of disinterest or routine but frustration from trying to impress on the young that there was much to learn from the past.  I was taking Western Civilization to 1900 in summer school in 1977.  While the grade I earned would do nothing for my grade point average, this course would leave me with lessons that have served me well over the years.

I remember very few dates and names, but I remember well the images that the old scribe placed in my head - how it felt, even smelled, to be in battle, how clueless different segments of the population could be to reality and, with no nonsense clarity, how leaders manipulated those around them through a steady diet of fear. A spoonful a day kept constituents at bay.

In simple terms, if you are an unpopular or incompetent leader, all you needed to do was create a threat to divert attention from the real problems. In return, the populus will solidify behind you and they would love you as you took them to war or economic ruin.  It was that simple and he recounted example after example of just such blind loyalty. Surely, it could not be that simple, I have thought over the years.  But as I age and have seen more than a few administrations come and go, I am beginning to see what he tried to tell us would happen..

Fear is a powerful force and can be used to hide a multitude of problem. No person is completely immune to its effects. One person fears gun violence and another fears taking away one's Second Amendment rights. When was the last time citizens were asked by their local government to band together to repel an invading group of people? That was the reason the Second Amendment was added to the constitution – because communities needed to protect themselves against warring tribes, and British and French forces seeking to conquer neighboring lands. How many will vote for a candidate who proclaims protection of gun rights when that person has no experience whatsoever in government? Are Americans not willing to spend millions of dollars to protect those around to fight any and every war to feel safe at home?
Abortion, infidelity, and sexual orientation are also great diverters of attention.. Abortion did not start with Roe vs. Wade. Women have been practicing the terminantion of pregnancy since early civilization. Natural herbs as well as dangerous semi-surgical procedures were used long before the Church became involved. If abortion has taken place for thousands of years, how can one argue that society will fail if it isn't banned. In the same way, sexual preference and infidelity are considered major issues but have been around as long as man (or woman).

So what should the American public fear? Take the national debt for instance. According to government sources, it is now over $20 trillion dollars. Such a big number is so hard to understand. It is the equivalent of running the entire Federal Government for 5 years. An individual or even a company that owed five times its annual income would be considered a poor risk by most lending institution. What is truly scary though, is that, unlike a bank loan our government does not really make payments on this debt? Two thirds of this debt is held by individuals, companies and foreign governments and repayment can be demanded at a moment's notice. The other one third, about 7 trillion dollars, is borrowed from the Social Security Trust Fund. Ever wonder why Congress never seems willing to increase Social Security pay to seniors. The answer is very simple – because it would mean that the national debt would need to be reduced and the only way to do that is to raise taxes or cut defense spending. At this point, Americans fear rising taxes and giving up protecting the world more than its leaders' choice to live beyond its means.

Fear is great for business as well. No one expects a pay raise when America is threatened at the very core of its being by illegal immigration. Business knows that as long as this issue looms in the wings, Americans will gladly tighten the belt and ask for nothing in return. It worked when the Scots-Irish came to the factories and the mines and when the Chinese were brought in to build the railroads. It works just as well in today's economy. And yet, it is the very programs that increase jobs and give companies tax breaks that entice immigrants to come to this country. Without the fear of losing jobs, would employees be so willing to make pennies on the dollar while profits were funneled into corporate bonuses and expensive retreats?

Maybe the time has come for Americans to see how their fear has been keeping them in their place for too long. Certainly, there has been enough questionable news over the last two years to feel a change in the direction of the wind of public opinion. More and more people are standing up to the rhetoric and expecting real action. They feel the need to call out “fake news” and “alternative facts” regardless of which side of the aisle is responsible. Americans may not be as divided as portrayed. A simple Low-Fear Diet may bring about the concensus that the media says doesn't exist.

I still think back to how much I learned that summer, how little it had to do with the past and how much it has to do with the present. Thank you Professor. I did listen in class and it did make an impression.

Gun Violence: And It Continues

**Originally Posted in February 2018, this brief comment was about the Parkland High School Shooting in Florida. As a former high school teacher who had often worried about violence on campus, I was grateful to be safely at home that day. In 2007, I had experienced the Virginia Tech mass shooting (my daughter worked on campus at the time) through my computer messages while trying to remain focused on a clasroom of talkative young women.  It, now,  seems unbelievable that these words are just a applicable now as they were then. Sadly, this was only one of four school shootings that would lead up to Valentine's Day that year.  (See addition in RED)

There is already one post about the senseless shooting of young people on this blog and it would be better for all if that were the extent of it.  But the country is dealing with yet another act of violence on school grounds. (2021-Wikipedia now documents the vast number of school shootings in multiple lists. The first school related shooting took place in 1853 according to those lists) There will be much blame spread around and many excuses like every event before it.  The one thing that may be different about this time, is the anger of the victims themselves.  Instead of mourning and moving on. these young people have decided that their voices will be heard.  Unlike their parents and grandparents who, for the last 20 years, have tried to work within the system to make things better, these young people will join with hundreds - if not thousands- and they will take their fight public.  They will expect those in charge to explain how the rights of one person to own a gun can outweigh the lives of all those who have been killed by them.  Instead of watching the ineffective government stand by the constitution to protect them from making decisions that might be unpopular to gun owners and lobbies, they will vote for those who see that the world is a different place and one in need of change.  They will be heard and with any luck, this WILL be the last time a school shooting occurs.

Parkland High School Students Protest Gun Violence On Campus

****As hard as the Parkland High School students worked and as creative as they were with their approach, the majority of state and local governments, still, permit guns to be readily carried.  While the COVID-19 pandemic may have slowed shootings at public events, the toll on individuals and families has been high.  This week, two gun violence trials will further highlight the use of firearms in inappropriate settings.  Is our Constitution right to protect ourselves more important than the safely of innocent people who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Sheep Ministry?

Religion: Does Your Church Have a Sheep Ministry? It Should

I am a city kid. Until I married a farmer, my experience with sheep had been limited to my attendance at the county fair. In school, I had learned that lanolin, an ingredient in hand cream, came from sheep, that the meat was called mutton - which would never be found on our dinner table, and that sheep produced wool so I could have those itchy jumpers my mother thought were so practical in the late sixties. But in the mid-1980s, I found myself the owner of 60 head of cross bred sheep and I quickly understood why there were so many stories comparing shepherds to ministers.

As strange as it may sound, humans could be sheep version 2.0. Certainly, humans are in a more attractive package and the opposable thumb thing, speech and critical thinking skills were great improvements but on the inside, similarities between these two are too close for comfort.

Sheep have been domesticated for as long as humans have a history. In the Middle East, during biblical times, humans and sheep had a symbiotic relationship that exists even today. Sheep provided milk and meat for food and skins that could be made into clothing, drums for music or storage containers for wine and water. Eventually, the wool fiber was traded for other supplies and woven into tapestries and fabric. The abiliy to survive on weeds as well as grass and its steady footing and compact frame meant sheep could use pastures not suited to larger animals. All a human had to do was be observant and take care of the sheep. That's all.

In reality, though, sheep are not the doe-eyed visions of Easter cards and sleep-aid advertisements. They are smelly, simple minded beings that can exhibit every one of the Seven Deadly Sins before lunchtime. Carrying a bucket of feed and having nothing between you and three and a half tons of charging flesh supported by 240 sharp hooves gives a new perspective to the concept “to lust after”. Rams (the males) will fight until one kills the other over ownership of a single female. A lamb turned out onto Spring grazing can die within hours if not vaccinated against overeating. Hobbies include sleeping 20 hours a day and finding a hole in the fence so they can see if the grass is really greener on the other side. Their curiosity makes them a danger to themselves and their high metabolism translates into quick death if preventative measures are not the norm, Being a shepherd is not the dull, boring job seen through today's impressions of CEOs and positions of authority. A skilled shepherd held the fate of the family in his hands since the flock was both the main food and income source of the family. Losing even a single animal was a tragedy.

So is the role of minister and shepherd the same? Should they be compared litterally? A review of the scriptures finds such figures as Moses and David being called by God during their time as a shepherd as if it were the skills of the shepherd that each needed before they could be successful as God's messenger. God and Jesus are also referred to as a shepherd of men/Israel. The Parable of the Good Shepherd (John 10) has a ring of truth for every modern flock owner and speaks to the relationship between sheep and shepherd that is well documented in farming. The shepherd mentions that he not only knows each animal in his flock but they, in return, know him. There is a level of trust, dedication and awareness that shows the investment he has for his chosen profession. Along with the Parable of the Lost Sheep, these scriptures lay out a clear picture of what is expected from anyone choosing to be a servant of God.

In much the same way as farmers study what contributes to the decline of their flocks, churches study the reasons some fail and others thrive. In both, positive results are based on more than numbers and accomplishments. The building of relationships is a key but the concept of a group that functions as one is also present. Some might say a church needs to act like a flock as well as be treated like one in order to be successful.  As a flock, shepherd and animals move together as one toward a better understanding of God and his plan.

Today's clergy are an important resource for any church. While, perhaps the image of a minister is changing, he/she is still vital to the mission of the church. To keep from over-spiritualizing this, it might be best to think “sheep” rather than attendance. Short of spending a few months of intensive training with real sheep here are a few tips from one shepherd to another to help establish your Sheep Ministry

1. Be the Shepherd - Even if you have others who are committed to pastoral care, make sure your first purpose is to be the “good shepherd” (John 10). Know each and every person attending your church (not just members) and continue to learn about them. Make the contact personal and more than the handshake you give before or after Sunday Service.
2. Remember the Nasty Ones - Every farmer has one or two nasty old mamas that they would not part with for any amount of money. While they can be a pain to work with, they can also give great support for you in your ministry.
3. Keep records – No one can remember everything. Keeping notes on your pastoral flock can be an excellent tool in building a foundation of trust. But a word of caution – This is not a place to 'fake-it-until-you-make-it'. Do your own homework. Sooner or later insincerity always finds its way into the light and is difficult to repair.
4. Expect to work for it – Paul doesn't sugar coat the job in his many letters to the early Christians. The salary and benefit package may be better than it was in Paul's time but the job is still 24/7/365 if you follow Paul's example. There will be the easy days and there will be days that nothing goes right. Even if you have structures in place that allow you to take time off, recognize that regularly missing out on the daily life of the church hinders your ability to connect and influence those in your care..
5. Don't expect Thank yous – Sheep, and humans, are hungry and thirsty every single day. It is only if you expect nothing and open yourself up personally that you will see the signs of true gratitude. A first-time volunter, an increase in giving even if the coffers are full, or a quick email can be far more rewarding than a spoken one.
6. Lead without Force - This is where a shepherd reaps the rewards of his/her efforts. As it says in John 10, a flock that trusts its shepherd will follow him/her. Save yourself some trouble and before you try to take your flock on a new journey of faith, get to know them and let them get to know you. Trust is a lot easier on the Shepherd than constantly wielding the Shepherd's crook.

Accepting the ministry is not an easy job and just as in Paul's day it can mean hard work and few accolades. Yet, a minister (layman or professional) has the potential to give the greatest gift the church has - a connection with each other based on God's grace and teachings. What better way to spend one's days than to be like Christ – A Shepherd of Men.  

The Age of Reality: Looking Back at the Future

The Age of Reality: Looking Back at the Future (

(Note to Readers: This was written in October 2015 as a contest entry on the subject of where would the United States be in 100 Years. It was written before Donald Trump announced his candidacy for President in 2016. Needless to say it was not published as a contest winning entry)

It is October 21, 2015, “Back to the Future Day” in popular culture.  Newscasters and fans alike are creating commentary about what the popular movie series predicted correctly and what it got wrong. Only 30 years after its debut in the mid 1980s, the movie was remarkably correct.  In the same way, it may be time to reflect on where the 21st Century  will take the world. Certainly the first 15 years have seen little more than difficulties. It has been a time of political disruptions, economic downturns and catastrophic natural disasters.  No part of the world seems to be without conflict.  The icecaps are melting from global warming, Third World countries as well as modern cultures complain about the lack of quality health care.  Large scale economic and military agreements between major powers are brought down by passionate and highly motivated grassroots organizations.  It is not looking good for the next hundred years. 

Imagine then that it is possible to jump into the outdated DeLorean with a now aging Marty McFly headed to October 21, 2115.  It is not a relative he is seeking but a sense of what has happened in the 21st Century.  He is worried about where the human race is headed.  Will there be WWlll, a cure for cancer, space travel or just a long, unending period of worry, self-protection and discord?  What characteristics will define the time period?  What insights will he be able to offer to the people of the world upon his return?  Ride shotgun on this trip to find the answer to these questions and more.

The doors close. The motor starts to hum. Lights begin blinking and gauges move as the DeLorean bumps through the years.  Suddenly, it comes to a halt with a strong thud.  The motor quiets and the lights and gauges settle into a flat position. The doors to the time machine open and the world is in clear view. It has been one hundred years since the first “Back to the Future Day” and there is trepidation as one looks out of the open door.  Marty exits the machine and takes a look around.  There are people gathering around - even now recognizing the iconic body style and doors.  

As Marty lets out a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding, there is recognition.  Fashions are slightly different but much the same as the comfortable but practical style which had been adopted for nearly 40 years.  The neighborhood has the same homes but each shows signs of modernization and is complimented by mature landscaping.  Cars still operate in much the same traffic pattern as they did, roads and wheels have, after all, been around for thousands of years.  The time of Star Wars and the Jetsons has not yet arrived.  Music still sounds like music, children still play and people still are attracted to a strange vehicle that suddenly appears where one did not previously exist.

But the world is different.  Unlike the passion for new and need for change that characterized the 20th Century, there has been an overriding need for the truth based on facts and science not moral premise or majority vote.  Real truth has become the goal in the major areas of health care, environmental protection, economic policy and finally global politics. The Age of Reality has come to the world and with it a sense of peace and well being that has not been seen in hundreds of years.  

In the year 2115, people are remarkably healthy.  Universal health care is a given - much like police presence and fire and rescue services. And yet, it does not resemble the specialized and competitive health care system that existed.  After a long period of costly and often, contradictory treatments, patients became disillusioned with treatment for symptoms instead of cures.  They began researching their own symptoms and challenging the concept of specialized medicine. Doctors were forced to include the patient's perceptions and knowledge as part of diagnostics.  General practitioners, particular those with the skills of Dr. House, rose to prominence leading teams of specialists who have taken on more of a role of assistant. Team medicine became the norm for every patient instead of just for major illnesses.  Patients no longer sit for hours each month waiting to see separate doctors in separate offices and are treated in a holistic manner.  Real health is preferred to that which is controlled by artificial means such as drugs or repetitive procedures.  Health professionals have been forced to admit that the practices which kept the human race going for thousands of years have far more value for longevity than originally thought.  Foods and vitamins are acknowledged to impact health in similar ways as prescription drugs.  Corrective measures such as glasses have all but disappeared with the use of new but non-invasive measures.  Technology puts an end difficulties of those with hearing impairments and damaged limbs. 

As health care changed so did farming and production of all manner of goods and services. Environmental concerns became as important as a trip to the gym.  The USA revamped its laws and worked with other nations to find common ground in exploring more natural methods of energy use and food production. What is eaten is no longer determine by marketing whims and company profits. Data used in claims of health benefits now requires up-to-date testing not supposition.  Global standards for food production and energy use have been put into place and have made great strides in addressing worldwide hunger.  Conservation of energy has been the push causing a gradual reduction in use of fossil fuels. Solar power has become more viable and passive energy collection powers most homes.  People have adopted the Old World traditions of family meals, home-cooked dishes, and a healthy relationship with both food and others. And as people start talking around the dinner table, there emerged a sense of consensus that has not been seen in decades. 

In 2015, the United States was a country of power and influence but without a clear identity.  It was born in revolution, came of age a hundred years later during a teenage-like rebellion within its borders and then settled into its growth and identity as world leader and protector during its next hundred years.  But as the 21st Century began, it found itself in a new position. It was now a target for the underdog countries wishing to make their mark. Instead of rash patriotism and dedication to its principles, America responded like a prized fighter who had reached his prime and was struggling to hang on. Its people were divided into two equally strong camps without the strength to sway the other side.  The status quo was not necessarily a choice but something that existed because making a firm decision seemed an impossible task.  It was becoming more like the older countries of the world - those that had lost their dominance years before and relied on agreements between neighbors to maintain their positions.  America was getting old. There was too much to risk to take chances and it was slowly, ever so slowly losing its influence.  With its age, America was also become wise and was now able to work to benefit its population not its status at the lunch table. 

And so with people enjoying health and taking the time to build relationships, America realized that its future, and the future of its diverse population, depended on cooperation. This is not just a policy for military peace but a level of cooperation that transcends economic, religious and territorial boundaries.  The people of the world gradually move into the Age of Aquarius as the baby boomers who protested so strongly for it, are leaving the earth much like Moses fails to enter the promised land.  

What is left is a world in which individual rights are not trampled by the good of all. Cars drive themselves so that individuals can read, sleep or revive a lost art while commuting to work.  People enjoy a shorter work week and higher working wage so that they can focus on their health, live comfortably and support leisure activities of all kinds. As families spend more time together and health improves, mental illness declines. With declines in mental illness so follows the incidence of violence. The World is enjoying a sense of safety and calm that resonates in a new time of learning.  Life has become real again and it is good.

In the last half of the century, the world has experienced a rebirth.  Love of the arts is supported again by common folk who enjoy concerts, reading an original copy of Harry Potter, now only available at the local museum, and creating art without the aid of a computer.  Travel has become easy with the adoption of global passports.  One can travel the world much like one buys a subway or bus pass now.  Education has become an individual focus with functional skills being mandated but interest, aptitude and employment driving specialized education.  Online curriculum delivery has now replaced the social aspects of college and high school rivalries.  There is time to make a good living and have a good life.  There is no working poor and a universal retirement program that offers more than bare existence. 

It is a good impression that Marty McFly will take with him as he returns to the DeLorean to begin the journey home to 2015.  Certainly, the last 100 years were not perfect.  Mother Nature took its toll when needed to keep the environment healthy. Earthquakes, tornadoes, blizzards and hurricanes have not been erased.  Crime and war are not gone either.  It would be foolish to expect all people to operate by the same rules. However, diplomacy and etiquette have returned to the political stage.  With a greater sense of decorum, the attraction of self-preservation such as gun-toting and military defense have become unnecessary traditions.  Violence still happens and will continue to do so as long as man walks the earth but for this brief period of time, there is the closest thing to Peace on Earth that any religion can hope for. 

Marty takes his impressions and climbs back in the DeLorean.  He is pleased with The Age of Reality and hopeful that the world will be able to maintain what it has accomplished.  Cooperation and compromise have succeeding in a way that defense and demands have not.  The doors close.  The vehicle disappears once again and returns to 2015.  Will Marty tell of all that he found?  Will he nudge people into the future he has seen or will he simply wait to see what happens?  Will the Age of Reality become a reality? Only time will tell. 

Special Note:  Several of the predictions here can be backed up by current conjecture.  Those items can be cited if needed but according to the guidelines print with contest materials readability was more important that research and justification.  I would be happy to cite any point if needed for publication.

Citizen's Day: Will Gun Violence Even End

** An interesting followup. The father of the young women killed in this attack has decided to run for political office. A well off business man, he has worked for seven years to bring gun control to the state and country. He openly admits that he has tried everything and is running as his last hope of making an impact. Good luck to him and others life him who see this as an important national issue. 

**This was originally written on August 25, 2015 and sent to the Old Farmers Almanac as an entry into its "New Holiday" writing contest. I repost this today to remember that as citizens we all have something to lose when we chose violence and force over discussion and compromise. It is a shame to realize we have not come far in the last 6 years. If anything gun violence is an even greater problem as people violence invades even children's birthday parties and school buildings.

Two young people died this morning in another random shooting.  The victims worked as a morning news crew.  The shooting happened on air as thousands of viewers, including children getting ready for school, watched in horror. In this rural community, random violence has become the norm, not the exception. Can a new National holiday bring us together? Can a one-day celebration be the call-to-action which returns a sense of peace and togetherness to a broken society?.

National holidays are, by their nature, events that celebrate the broader base of the population.  Such days recognize service and times of goodwill.  In keeping with this tradition, it is time for a Citizen’s Day to be recognized - a time to remember the meaning of the phrase “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” as well as a time to acknowledge that one person’s rights do not negate another’s. .

Our country has very little respect for civility. Violence and public disagreements have become the problem-solving tools.. As our country moves into a national election and subsequent time of transition, voters should consider their choice carefully.  Would the candidate support a Citizen’s Day holiday? For the sake of this country, one hopes they would.