The Year of Accountability

January 2, 2026 - Vol. 20, No. 1 - It seems fitting that I begin the 20th year of this blog with an iconic Norman Rockwell illustration and an appeal to civic responsibility. The illustration is entitled "Freedom of Speech," published in 1943 by The Saturday Evening Post as part of a series of paintings based on President Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms" speech. The civic responsibility I am encouraging is implicit in Rockwell's painting, a citizen's responsibility to hold elected officials accountable for both their actions and inactions.

This new year should - and must - be a year in which we hold our elected officials accountable. The year 2026 is a year of inflection. We are at a crossroads in deciding the kind of country our children, their children and their children will live. There are dark forces afoot in our land, ones that undermine the very principles upon which our nation was founded two and one-half centuries ago. Will we continue our steady progress toward the democratic republic our Founders envisioned or will we continue the Trump inspired erosion of equal rights in favor of an oligarchical society? How quickly we have gone from the Great Society to the Great Gatsby. It is a trend that threatens not only our individual economic well-being, but also our national security. America today is a weaker nation, economically, militarily and morally than at any other point in my lifetime. Sure, some of you will say, I plan to vote in November and that's how I will hold our officials accountable. And I certainly hope you will, but we don't have to wait 11 months to begin to hold our elected leaders accountable now.

The first step is to remain informed on the issues. This will involve more than a cursory look at the morning newspaper or watching some television network's nightly 30-minute summary of the news. It involves reading and watching multiple news sources. I don't have to tell you that Fox News and MS-Now have differing perspectives on today's events. Your duty is to triangulate the truth by listening and reading those and other sources. Don't let someone else decided what is "the truth" for you. That's your responsibility.

Second, communicate your concerns to your leaders. How are they supposed to reflect your concerns if you are not willing to let them know what they are? Send letters, write emails, go to their town halls - those who have the courage to conduct them - use social media (such as I am going) and otherwise send politicians signals that you are paying attention.

Next, show up. Go to city council meetings and public hearings. Join and support civic and political organizations that reflect your values. You say you are a champion of education? Then show up at the school board and give the members tangible evidence that you actually care about the issues. Do you think many Republican members of Congress are now talking about restoring Affordable Care Act subsidies out of the goodness of their hearts? Perhaps it has more to do with the millions of Americans who have taken to the streets during the past year to express their dissatisfaction with the status quo.

Demand transparency and ethical standards of our elected officials. Don't let that paralyzing "They are all a bunch of crooks" mentality keep you from calling them out when they fail to meet your values. Frankly, sitting back and doing nothing about evil when you see it is intellectually lazy and morally reprehensible. They need to know that when they veer from an acceptable path that there are consequences.

Your vote is one of democracy's most precious gifts. Don't waste it by automatically voting for a member of "your tribe." I take great pride in the fact that I am a habitual ticket-splitter. I vote for the candidate, not his or her party. I also vote even when I don't necessarily like either candidate. I owe it to those who fought and died for our freedoms to make touch choices when exercising those freedoms. Not voting is the greatest sin of all, although I will admit that the late George Carlin once voiced an interesting and amusing dissent. Carlin's take is funny, but far more cynical than I care to embrace.

Let's make 2026 The Year of Accountability - not just for our elected leaders, but for ourselves. Actions do speak louder than words. That's it for now. Happy New Year and Fear the Turtle.