Maybe it could be simple
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Editor,
I was happy to read all the contributions to last week’s paper in regards to building community (An Evolution in Community) and other generally quality contributions from community members. These last few decades, we have seen a massive erosion in social capital in our country. That means people aren’t in nearly as many clubs, social interactions have declined and relationships that are built on trust and reciprocation rather than purely monetary have lessened. This means more people are unhappy, disconnected, and alone.
Many of the articles and views last week built a positive theme in my mind that I’ve been thinking on for some time. As a society, we are concerned about losing our connection with one another, but we’re unsure of how to move forward. I especially enjoyed Judy Preston and Anais Starr’s “Censorship in Speech” letter. It rings a central theme to all of this disconnection in my mind: technology and pharmaceuticals. As a former Political Science major, a moderate millennial, and a social media quitter, I rarely read the news anymore, because as Judy and Anais said, “In this freedom of speech country of ours, we have had an expectation of diversity of opinion in media. Instead…we fear reprisal…” How true, especially these last two years. Don’t let the master manipulators and robots win. Go play some pickleball, go to the farmers market, and say hello to your new neighbor. I know it’s not that simple, but maybe it could be.
Shay Farmer
St. Ignatius
