Opinion Piece By Samuel Strait – February 1, 2023 Trust in government was never a strong suit for the colonist's leading up to and following the Revolutionary War. Still for nearly two and a half century's the US population managed to become one of the more successful countries in human history. It is sad to see that in just the past couple of decades, governing at all levels has seen lack of trust in our governing institutions reach its current high point where even the legacy media has been edged out of the top spot. Granted the enormous and now recognized overreach at all levels of government in just the past three years have much to do with that sentiment. Covid 19 saw our governing bodies, the press, health experts, and experts in general exposed in a way that has never been accomplished during the entire history of this Country. Those that still "critically think" have been aware for some time just how badly our governments failed us during a time when simple honesty would have been not only welcomed, but bolstered the sagging faith that this Country once had in those that call themselves leaders. Not the case for our governments, the press, health experts, academia, and experts in general. Manufactured and illusory interventions of social distancing, face masks, and lockdowns took the place of sound rational decision making. Vaccines and testing which now are coming under increasing fire as ineffective, lacking any prevention, and likely dangerous to a growing number of the perfectly healthy among us are greeting us daily. The recent reaction to the break down of government has left a population that is now beginning to question much more than just the dysfunction of government at all levels as other trumpeted crisis's have emerged as not living up to the hype. Climate Change in the extreme, social justice, genus dysphoria, and a host of liberal/progressive dictum's that demand acceptance without reservation will shortly encounter increasing scrutiny at last. In a world where no one is identical and group think satisfies only a single person, independent thought and resolution for each person needs a second look. Past time for minorities at elections and even in daily life controlling how things work in this Country going forward. As a population, things need to change if this Country is to remain worthy of life going forward. Elections that are decided when the affirmative doesn't even represent thirty percent of registered voters, less than ten percent of the over all population needs to stop. It is shameful when we live in a State where the ballots are mailed directly to the voter, that often half or less than that of registered voters fail to mark their ballots and send them in to be counted. It is an abject failure on the part of the people in this Country that fifty percent plus one is the measure of success for ballot measures. This Country was founded on principals that included a healthy dose of reserve for any government action, yet there seems to an apathy to call out government's failure and abuse. Our schools are a hollow shell that no longer educate, one of the essentials for holding government's feet to the fire. The time has come to get up off the couch and discover just what government has DONE TO YOU! Time to spend the couple of hours either attending government meetings or viewing them on-line. See what passes for government in this nation for the 21st century. You will be surprised at what those that you have elected are doing to you liberty in the name of representing your needs.