Working in professions like nursing and teaching have become particularly difficult these past few years. (They were not easy gigs before that.) The recent high-profile mass shootings have only taken them to the next level of difficulty. Which is an innocuous way of saying that the way nurses and teachers are currently treated in this country is a national disgrace.
But the big question is (as always): What are we going to do about it?
Well, taking more personal responsibility would certainly help. Nurses and teachers are partners, not miracle workers — we need to do our part, meet them halfway. We can also be better citizens by considering what might benefit the community before defaulting to the most self-serving choice.
And, yes, a component of improving lives (and saving them) is to make changes to existing laws and even establish new ones. Our government was designed to adjust the rules to accommodate a changing world — don't let the "it's only constitutional if I agree with it" crowd tell you otherwise.
But it can feel overwhelming. And it’s so easy to become distracted by the Ted Cruzes of the world. Perhaps asking the nurses and teachers what they think would be a good place to start.
John Auchter is a freelance political cartoonist. His views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Radio, its management, or its license holder, the University of Michigan.
