There’s a whole world of hurt and fear out there that continues to deepen with each passing day. Over the last month, I’ve listened to countless people stunned by the speed that sweeping changes in governance bring to real people and families within this community.
Offering immediate reassurances by telling people not to worry, that everything will work out fine or even better, is not helpful to anyone suffering job insecurity regardless of their tenure or job performance. Feelings need to be acknowledged first and foremost without judgment. People need to know they’ve been heard.
Uncertainty provides fertile ground for those middle-of-the-night runaway fears, even to those who have worked hard for what they have and made best-laid plans for a comfortable future, whether that be retirement or paying for tuition for a child’s continuing education, or their own.
These fears, over actions that we as a democratic republic have never experienced, are of concern to everyone regardless of political party.
Where can we look for hope? Where can we find connection? Where can we find solid footing on which to stand?
I maintain it’s here in the KP community where we have solid evidence that people with different beliefs and ideologies can indeed coexist, care for one another, and thrive.
The KP has a long track record of caring for one another in good times and bad. No single political party has a lock on doing good work to make the KP a better place to live. Partisan politics don’t matter when it comes to feeding the hungry, caring for our elders, making sure kids feel safe with access to help and resources when needed. We know from experience that being compassionate to people having a hard time is the right thing to do.
Can every wrong be righted? The answer is no. Unlike Russia, in the United States we live under an established rule of law, and we must not lose faith in that system, even when it seems to fail us.
The KP News received a message a few days ago from someone outside our area who expressed concerns for the health and welfare of an elderly person once honored and named KP Citizen of the Year for their devotion to this community. Hard times can befall any of us, and the writer felt this person needed a boost to remind them that they remain valued and loved.
Because we live in a tight-knit community, I was able to determine with a single phone call that the Citizen of the Year laureate is now safe from harm and being well cared for. That’s how it works, or can work, provided we remain engaged.
The Key Peninsula Lions Club will present its 38th Key Peninsula Citizen of the Year Award at a banquet March 29, recognizing 22 nominees for the prestigious honor. The published list of nominees (see page 18 in this edition) includes outstanding individuals who have demonstrated that actions go above and beyond the norm to improve the community and meet the high bar set by recipients in years past.
Like other organizations, the KP Lions Club often goes unrecognized for its work. Last fall, the Lions donated an AED to the Red Barn Youth Center, together with the KP Volunteer Firefighters Association. Placing these life-saving devices is part of a community risk reduction program that identifies public gathering places where quick action may be needed beyond CPR until emergency medical support arrives. The units are designed to easily be used to help someone in cardiac arrest. Add that to the list of good works the Lions do and have done on the KP for over 40 years.
This is just a small example of what KP News reports on each month.
There are many who have disengaged from all news these days, overwhelmed by the volume and nature of things they cannot change on their own. Our suggestion is to continue reading our newspaper, but also check out the nonprofit nonpartisan Washington State Standard, which covers state news in Olympia like no other publication. The Standard is part of a coalition of state newsrooms that deliver important, timely information on governance issues at the state level.
The landscape for accessing reliable sources of nonpartisan news began shifting years ago. Yes, I am biased on the point that KP News knows how to do local news well with the resources we have. But that allowed us last year to partner for the first time with the Associated Press to provide live 2024 election coverage on our website. The AP is also a nonprofit news publication that operates without paywalls and is undeniably one of the best-known and trusted sources of journalism around the world.
Our community and our country have many voices. Out of many, we are one.
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