By Barb McQuade

Dear Reader,

As we turn the page on a new year, it’s time for resolutions. We each have our own personal goals for self-improvement, like getting more exercise or eating more vegetables. But one collective resolution that America needs more than any other is a renewed commitment to our duties as citizens. 

As we embark on 2022, our country faces enormous challenges. The Covid pandemic has already killed more than 800,000 Americans and has come roaring back. Climate change is advancing faster than our willingness to address it. Income inequality continues to grow. According to the Economic Policy Institute, CEO pay is now 350 times that of the average worker. The ability of our pluralistic society to coexist in harmony has taken several steps back. Despite the alarming regularity of mass shootings, we’re unable to pass common sense reforms to outlaw assault weapons. Our faith in government and other institutions has withered. And, to my astonishment, our country is divided even on something as undeniably awful as the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.