Torrential rainfall hit the D.C. area recently, leaving cars submerged under water, businesses and homes torn from their foundations and sinkholes suddenly emerging gobbling up everything in their path.
In this instance, it seems that the old saying, “misery loves company,” is apropos as unfamiliar changes in the weather this summer have shocked Alaskans with soaring temperatures unseen in decades. Centuries-old homes in Rhode Island are holding on for dear life as water levels have continued to rise with nowhere to go since rivers and tributaries are already at their peak.
Ecosystems in Florida and Louisiana seem so confused by the changing world that bacteria have overtaken once pristine beaches while whales, dying from starvation, are beginning tossed from the seas and onto dry land. And those in California simply cannot keep up with the fires as they crisscross the state destroying everything and everyone in their path.
If the writing on the wall is so clear, what’s taking our leaders so long to do something? What is their rationale for ignoring or refusing to accept the obvious? Maybe they’ve made a deal with the Devil or have agreed to look the other way for a few silver coins.
Whatever the reason, someone must be willing to step forward and begin to demand greater protection and care for Planet Earth. It doesn’t need to be a silver-tongued presidential hopeful who grabs the mic. It doesn’t even have to be familiar figures like Jesse or Sharpton holding the megaphone. The person to make a difference could be a little boy or girl in elementary school, or a grandmother who’s sick and tired of being sick and tired. We only have one world and it’s in real trouble. And time is running out, if not for us today then for our children or grandchildren. They deserve the right to realize their dreams. They deserve the right to live.