Whiplash redefined

Last week’s events were reminiscent of an accident experienced as a 16-year-old high school student.

I was as a lifeguard at Villisca’s pool. One afternoon after the pool closed, my best friend, Kathy, needed a ride to her grandma’s house for supper. While slowing down to drop her there, I was rear-ended by another classmate. My brake lights were working, but she wasn’t paying attention. My glasses flew off my head and landed in the back seat as my neck snapped. I couldn’t see without glasses and I was in panic mode. Gratefully, Kathy easily returned them to me.

My two-door, 1950 Chevy suffered no damage. My classmate driving her parents’ late 1960s Pontiac was no match for my solid as a rock 1950 Chevy and suffered hood and front bumper damage totaling over a thousand dollars. I think she received a ticket for failing to have the vehicle under control.

My friend in the back seat was fine. The driver of the car that hit me was fine but paid a fine. However, I knew my neck was not fine almost immediately.

Getting up the next day wasn’t easy, requiring two hands to lift my head from the pillow and rolling out of bed because I couldn’t sit up. Mom took me to the doctor. Diagnosis: whiplash. Remedy: ice, rest, patience, time. Recovering took weeks to feel the same. I still suffer damaged disks and periodic neck pain from whiplash. Whiplash was disconcerting and painful, creating life-long physical issues.

I had no concept of the life-long impact of whiplash. I was 16 years old and invincible.

Fast forward to today. Think about national events since the inauguration. There has been turmoil and uncertainty during the last 90 days. The U.S. population and countries have experienced whiplash caused by proclamations since the 47th President’s inauguration.

Since taking office on January 20, 2025, the 47th President signed and authorized implementation of over 116 executive orders. Numerous actions declared by Executive Orders are still in the courts regarding concerns about Constitutional violations.

Where is the end of the tunnel and days filled with uncertainty and chaos? What might be next? Recession?

Let’s review. Some of the first actions pardoned and released convicted January 6th insurrectionists; overtures to make Canada the 51st state without their consent; renaming the Gulf of Mexico; plans to purchase or take over Greenland without consent; removal of war heroes’ pictures from government public buildings and websites; deportations based on tattoos without evidence of criminality.

DOGE attempted to stream-line government efficiency with little knowledge of government and gained access to private records held within the Treasury Department; questionable qualifications of high level Cabinet Secretaries; eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion policies across government documents and agencies; fired experienced employees claiming DEI hires; elimination of the Department of Education, eliminated or fired career government employees in multiple agencies; proposed budget with potential cuts to Medicaid and Social Security.

Top if off by imposing tariffs to world-wide trade partners including an island only inhabited by penguins. Result: world-wide tanking of the stock market, loss of trillions of dollars with potential for more to come.

It’s the tip of an iceberg causing citizens to suffer “whiplash.” Not physical whiplash, but political whiplash with potential long-term impacts on lives, security and national well-being.

Humans like stability to plan for a career, college, jobs, marriage, children, families, retirement and life. We don’t thrive on uncertainty, chaos or instability. We worry about our future and those we love.

Apparently, world-wide financial stability doesn’t thrive on chaos either.

When campaigning, the would-be 47th President promised much. Project 2025 was published and the candidate distanced from it. The last 90 days saw the implementation of much of Project 2025.

Lesson to self: If the 47th President says it, he intends to do it. Sometimes.

Who voted for this? Maybe you wanted grocery and gas prices lowered? Guess what. Groceries and gas aren’t lower. How long will it take our country to discover this can’t continue and recover?

My whiplash still haunts me. Political whiplash may haunt this country’s nightmare.