Trusting Others

I heard someone say the other day, “I know that 95% of people are good and trustworthy. It’s the other 5% that I don’t trust.”

I add, that the 5% identified might tell us a lot about all of us. Who would you say are untrustworthy? For me my neighbors and family are trustworthy; so too most of the folks in my church. Oh there are those in the congregation who fear many things and they don’t place trust in many places because of this.

Reading the news we learn of those who do not trust the federal government. They think of self- serving politicians; they see huge bureaucratic departments stumbling over their own procedures and policies. They feel the national government is not responsive to their needs; worse, they think it too large to be worthy of its puny outputs. For them, there is no faith in their national government.

Many citizens feel the same way about their state governments. Now, when we get to local governments, there is more trust, but unease still lingers there! They scoff readily at their local town’s plans for roadway expansions and ‘improvements’. They see such efforts as ineffective. Not worth the money spent on it. They often tell others that they would prefer their taxes lower and the projects not attempted.

But then, a tornado hits town (if you are in the midwest), or a flood from heavy storms (if you live in coastal areas) or a forest fire decimates your region. They suffer first from the fear of the approaching menace, then they scramble for exit routes and safe haven. When disaster strikes their neighborhood they seek rescuers and angels to keep them alive and well.

Suddenly it doesn’t matter if the government is large or small, or merely a volunteer reaching out to help a fellow human being. Merely a volunteer? A volunteer? Merely? Really?

We are all volunteers. We pay our taxes voluntarily. We donate time, talent and money to those things we believe in and care about. We help our neighbors, our fellow church members, our families, and countless others. We donate on-line to help veterans, handicapped and the poor. We give at church for the same reasons. But when it comes to the really large calamities in life, we rely on our government agencies.

For the most part they meet our needs nearly perfectly. Oh, there are exceptions in our history. But those exceptions are few and far between. For the most part our system of government works very well and very efficiently.

If one complains about inefficiency, we must remember that checks and balances cost money. And those checks and balances are important to be more certain that our governments are doing what they are supposed to do and doing it honestly and faithfully. Not to invest in those checks and balances would open all government units to mismanagement and fraud. And then we would have something to complain about!

In my experience – 7+ decades – government has generally run very well. The nearer to the people – towns, townships, cities and counties – the better run they are. Those units are also much more responsive to the real needs because they are made up of people just like us who have ‘volunteered’ to do the duty for the rest of the community. They know us and our needs. They function well.

State and national governments are farther from the citizens served. Because of that distance we do imagine accountability suffers. Analyzed, however, the fears do not measure up to the outcomes. We Americans are well served by our government entities.

For proof of that statement, observe FEMA’s response to Hurricane Harvey. Observe FEMA’s preparation for Hurricane Irma’s potential landfall along the eastern seaboard. Eye carefully the forest fighters waging war against capricious winds and mountain landscapes as fire devours forests, canyons, homes and ranches. Observe, too, the American Red Cross and countless other volunteer agencies that respond to human needs – food, clothing, shelter, transportation and medical care – as the horror of the disasters affect many thousands of lives.

And that is just the beginning of the horror. Those victims also need resettling for a time while their homes are repaired or replaced. Jobs are often lost in such disasters. So too livelihoods, careers, and family stability. Memories inform us of what we have lost; those memories are not lost, just the things and the places. Memories are ours to rekindle and keep.

Loved ones killed by the disasters are the lasting sorrows. Things can be replaced. Lifestyles can be re-engineered and explored, even new exciting ones adopted. But loved ones, friends and lives cannot be replaced.

All the disasters that inevitably occur need a human response. In America we have that response. Always. Professionally. And voluntarily.

It is one of the reasons I have full faith in my governments. They are made up of people like you and I who believe in our nation and values.

Yes, there are rotten apples in most barrels, that includes elected officials. But there are more of us than of them. Together we will surpass their calumny. If you and I read and prepare for issue discussions and voting, we have nothing to fear but fear itself. By now we know that fear is fruitless.

Carry on!

September 6, 2017