I recently watched “The Truman Show,” a film about a man unknowingly living in a reality TV show. As he grows up, he is conditioned to never leave the town where his reality is controlled. Everyone around him steers him to stay trapped. Infiltrators try to convince him that his reality isn’t what he believes it to be, one wears a button that reads, “How’s it going to end?”

My passion for the history and government of the United States has been a constant throughout my life. It was my favorite subject in school, my college major, and long ago I spent summers working for the National Park Service. I taught history and government for a decade.

But I find myself today asking, “How’s this era going to end?” The truth is, I honestly don’t know. It feels as though we are all like Truman, conditioned to live in a society that fails to meet the needs of all but a few. We seem to have surrendered many of our freedoms in exchange for meaningless choices. We can select from countless colors of bath towels but not who we can criticize or elect. We are overwhelmed with entertainment but starved for accurate information. Now it is made worse by firing officials who give us data that the regime doesn’t like.

The internet, which promised to connect and inform us, has failed to provide the enlightenment we had hoped for. Democracy only works when we share a common reality.

My greatest concern lies in the dysfunction of our governmental systems. The high bar for removal as become a shield for the corrupt rather than a safeguard for the innocent. The Emoluments Clause has become a joke, unable to withstand the tide of “gifts from friends.” The slow pace of the courts encourages crime by the wealthy rather than ensuring due process for all; and judicial decisions have drifted away from established precedent and law. Election laws are shrinking democracy instead of expanding it, while elections themselves no longer serve the majority.

Heritage Foundation leaders are calling for “a second American Revolution.” On the left there are calls from some for wealth taxes for the 1%, “Medicare for All,” rent control, and ending gerrymandering. When examining the Declaration of Independence, it’s hard to ignore the parallels. Laws no longer serve the majority; individuals act with impunity regardless of their corruption or unethical behavior. The pursuit of life, liberty and happiness has become a struggle for survival. How can we afford happiness when we cannot afford healthcare, groceries or housing?

How do we break this downward spiral? Housing costs have continued to rise, wages fail to keep pace. We argue about our differences more than seeking common ground. Even in our state, attempts at affordability focus on education tax reform instead of capping health insurance costs for teachers and staff.

It is important to ask ourselves: How do we reclaim our freedoms and restore the integrity of our systems? How do we make freedom universally affordable? Answers may not be easy, but they are essential for the future. I look forward to hearing plans for “how’s it going to end.”

Michael Kane

Vergennes