Across the country, politicians are insisting that ‘We the People’ sacrifice while they do not. During this entire pandemic, we have been asked to sacrifice our time, income, and family while they do not. They preach from their podiums “we are all in this together” and are later found guilty of not following their own edicts.
Every year someone somewhere on active duty will not be going home for the holidays. Every year regardless of a pandemic, a place setting will not be set for veteran families around the country. We miss birthdays, christenings, weddings, first-steps, and any other traditional celebration you can think of regularly and regardless of a pandemic. Military leadership also partakes in the sacrifice with us, knowing you never ask your troops to do something you are never willing to do yourself. However, this is not the leadership we see today; thus threatening the democracy of tomorrow.
Earlier this year, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer violated her own order of staying six feet apart at all times while she marched in a George Floyd protest. Last month, California Governor Gavin Newsom pleaded for Californians to not spend time with family and friends outside of the household, while he enjoyed dinner at the fancy French Laundry restaurant. Earlier this month it was revealed that Mayor Steve Adler of Austin, Texas urged people to stay home while he traveled to his vacation home in Mexico. Let’s also not forget Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s hair salon scandal, in which she violated San Francisco’s COVID-19 orders. There are plenty more examples of “leadership” around the country that have been caught following the ‘what’s good for thee but not for me’ mentality.
As one could predict from Thanksgiving protocols, last week Dr. Fauci announced to the world that for the first time, at 79 years of age, he will not be seeing his family for Christmas and is urging others to do the same. Let me say that I’m deeply saddened knowing that some will not be spending the holiday season with loved ones lost from COVID-19. Unlike Dr. Fauci, I began missing Christmases and other holidays at 18 years old. When you are young, you always think you have more time. Throughout my service, I lost both of my parents to different ailments. My ghost of Christmas past makes me wish I would’ve spent more time with them. My ghost of Christmas present shows me that despite the hardships COVID-19 has brought on fellow Americans, we still express goodwill and generosity to others. If the present is an indication of what is to come, the ghost of Christmas Future has a perilous story to tell.
