Sarah Nigbor

Again this week I struggled with what to write about. When there is so much strife and turmoil in the world, especially in our neighboring state to the West, everything else seems a bit trivial. Much of the weekend was spent discussing with my daughter the things going on in our world and helping her make sense of it all. Top that with some disturbing Pierce County Circuit Court crime stories this week, and I wasn’t feeling warm and fuzzy about humanity. I know reading those stories is far from pleasant, but I’m a firm believer that we need to know what is going on around us. It never did anyone any good to bury their head in the sand. Wouldn’t you rather be aware and alert rather than ignorant and oblivious?

As I watched the news reports of Alex Pretti’s shooting and death, I felt a pit in my stomach that I haven’t felt since 9-11. I believe this country is on the edge of a huge transition, one I haven’t seen in my lifetime.

On my drive to work yesterday, I had a morning radio show on. Instead of the usual silly games and ribbing, the DJs were somber. They too were struggling with what to say or do after the events of the weekend. Like I said last week, I try to keep politics out of this column. I won’t give my political views here. But I will say, the ugliness that I’ve seen in online comments about a man’s death makes me sick. We need to stop being Democrat or Republican and be good human beings. Be honest, have good morals, show empathy, value integrity and human life. That’s it.

One thing those radio DJs said yesterday morning stuck with me: We need to feel like there is hope. Amidst the chaos, hope is what will see us through. And that’s why it’s okay to note and appreciate the good things going on around us despite the bad.

I’ll be the first to say that my daughter’s generation is way too enthralled and addicted to their cell phones. I wish I could take those phones and bury them in a deep hole. Or at least ban children from social media until they are 18. But I will also say that empathy, dedication, perseverance, resilience, hope and kindness are alive and well in our kids. I see it every day in the stories that we cover in this newspaper.

I had the privilege of attending the St. Croix Valley Honors Band and Choir concert Saturday in River Falls. The talent of those eighth graders was absolutely astounding. The fact that kids from seven schools came together, rehearsed for a mere few hours and sounded like college-level musicians was amazing. As the music swelled around me, tears welled up in my eyes. The music they performed provided a sliver of hope. Look at what is possible when people come together for a common goal.

These kids look up to the older generations. What we do is important and believe me, they see and notice everything. They are growing up with parents (some of them) who think nothing of demonizing other people on social media and in gossip, sometimes without a shred of factual information. If you’re inclined to be a keyboard warrior on any of the community Facebook pages or social media posts in general (because you feel safe behind your computer screen), think about what your kids would think if they read it. Or your pastor. Would you say those things in front of him or her? If the answer is no, then don’t write it.

What kind of example will you set for our children, our future?