Ann Bednarski: What’s happened to our country?

What’s happened to our country? I find myself pondering that question on a daily basis. We have significantly lowered our standards and shifted to a sickening mode of “politically correct.” Does that mean we’re unsure of our values and priorities?

Power seems to be a mean virus that’s far too often abused by those who believe they have the right to control our lives and ... our pocketbooks. There are many people I have known for years, trusted, liked, helped and now, with the status of “power” and “position,” they can’t or don’t speak anything of substance. It’s disappointing to me.

That disappointment has spread into the way business is conducted, and advertising is delivered full of shock and dismay. I’m often offended by the tactics used to dazzle and intimidate people to buy something — often basic communication devices. But it’s not limited to just that; each one of us has our own interests in products and services and can study the way those things are promoted in commercials. You decide for yourself.

I took a day to reflect on dealing with the DMV losing my registration card and check, the bank crediting and debiting my account erroneously and my coffee maker dying. That may not sound like much, but trust me when I say I spend too much time correcting problems with services I have. I was shocked to learn the woman I spoke with at the DMV had no idea there was a “mailbox” in front of the office for the convenience of dropping off registration information; then, when I returned, no one seemed to know how often that box is emptied. When I was credited four times for a bank error, I chuckled to myself thinking of the game of Monopoly. Remember the “Community Chest” card that read, “Bank error in your favor?” Considering our enormous debt, isn’t our money just like the game of monopoly?

Taking a quiet day without TV to calm down from the stress was a good idea. A good man and good friend of mine died last Sunday. George V. Voinovich, Mayor of Cleveland, Governor of Ohio, and U.S. Senator, was honored with a Memorial Service presented at Cleveland’s City Hall. It was live-streamed.

Mayor, Governor, Senator Voinovich had a motto: “Together we can do it.” He often said, “We can do more with less if we work hard and work smartly.” He was described by many who spoke at the memorial as a man with a Moral Compass, who approached issues with Principled Pragmatism, and believed in civility, quietly finding workable solutions and working side by side with people in all walks of life. He wasn’t a bully nor did he look down on his fellow man.

One of the expressions that touched me was when he quipped something about him being accountable for “what I do after the election.” All Nevada politicians should keep that in mind every day.

Ann Bednarski is a Carson City resident.