From my bedroom window, I could see that some rogue bushes and trees were growing amongst the neighbor’s tree line. Since some were buckthorns, an invasive species I want to remove before it goes to seed (berries, really), I went out with my branch clippers this afternoon to clear some of the overgrowth. I’m not digging out the roots – partially because they tend to be intertwined with the trees we want to keep – just trimming back the branches. As I was trimming, I noticed this tree.
It’s hollow at the base, and going up a couple feet. Rotted, eaten? I’m not really sure what caused it, but the remaining bits seem surprisingly solid. It’s actually pretty neat looking, if I had been wearing gloves, I might have been tempted to reach inside. There are multiple holes in the trunk to peek into. Noting the hollow, I wondered if the tree was still alive, or if the branches around it were from the surrounding trees, spreading out to fill the space, or from the invasive species I’m working to remove.
I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that the top of the tree is thriving, despite the hollow trunk. The tree is still alive despite its issues. And it struck me that I couldn’t see that from my window. Some problems can only be seen up close.
That’s what we’re seeing in the United States now. Between viral social media posts and a faltering federal government, we are becoming increasingly aware of the problems at the root of our system. We’re seeing various parts of the government respond to peaceful protest – a Constitutional right – with violence. We’re seeing violent counter-protestors being ignored, while peaceful ones are attacked or arrested. We’re seeing the inequity that’s built into the system. And thanks to the overabundance of information available online, we’re seeing all of it – the official announcements of riots and violent protests, and the unofficial social media posts explaining how protesters are kettled (trapped into contained areas) and prevented from leaving until they’re suddenly violating curfew.
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, and it’s up to us, the voting populace, to correct the problem at every level. In just over two months, we go to the polls. Research the candidates, not just the highly publicized Presidential election, but every position on the ballot. These people, especially the local elections, represent you, and influence the immediate impact that you see in your community.