Why Am I doing This?

As I am surpassing a new threshold and taking on an enormous risk I never imagined I’d take initially, I want to take this opportunity to provide some explanation. Some may be feeling a sense of shock by my outward and sometimes aggressive behavior. Others may be shaking their heads as if I am a nuisance. Hopefully I can clarify some things and shed some light into what is happening. What is making Hayden tick?

Right now, many of you may be feeling an overwhelming sense of stress and dread of current events right now. Many may be left feeling anxious and confused on who to trust, on which information is accurate enough, and what catastrophe is next to unfold. When we turn on the news, scroll through social media, or speak with loved ones and friends, we see and hear about plenty of turmoil, scandals, and fear-inducing content that paints a bleak picture. How safe are we from the advancements of AI said to cause a massive economical shift greater than the Industrial Revolution? Will we ever be able to afford homeownership and fulfill the American Dream? Will the middle class, the beacon to hope and propensity, survive or fall? Are we at the midst of another civil or nuclear world war? Is the United States of America as we know it on the brink of collapse? I am sure many of you are feeling nervous, angry, or saddened by our current world. Many of you may be feeling very tight financially, feeling vulnerable about your career prospects and livelihoods, and feeling frustrated with the sudden changes in your community. That may be the mass influx of people moving into your town, everything from basic essentials to utilities and energy costs rising, the ever-increasing costs of healthcare, the high-density rental apartments dominating new construction, the predatory “Own Nothing; Be ‘Happy’” initiatives, and the infrastructure that is just not adapting to the population growth of your communities. If you are feeling many of these emotions I am feeling, you are most certainly not alone!

Others may have become numb, exhausted, abandoned their will to care, and have taken on more of a nihilistic view at this point. Some younger generations have even become “doomers” with an acceptance that everything is just going to crumble and to just ride the wave downhill to the abyss. I feel these are stark, dire warning signs indicative of the alarming direction we are heading towards.

While I do believe individual success is what one makes of themselves, the rungs on the ladder of achievement have become much father apart and less reachable, less predictable, more obscured, and more unstable. Major milestones older generations reached from an earlier age have become major obstacles with each newer generation. The loneliness epidemic has plagued our young men, technology addiction has distracted us from conventional means of communication, “third places” have vanished, and sociopolitical tensions have reached enormous heights.

I feel we are progressively inching our way closer to a dystopian nightmare, and I can most certainly say we have witnessed alarming rates of radicalization; passion-filled rage; blatant, sporadic, and politically-motivated acts of violence; and a soaring distrust in our politicians, neighbors, teachers, authority figures, and those who we once believed would help us. We are witnessing two-tiered systems of “justice”; egregious acts of corruption; elites committing heinous and unthinkable acts towards children to then roam unscathed; and our individual rights to fundemental freedoms, norms, traditions, and values under constant threat and facing a barrage of scrutiny. The average, everyday American citizen feels abandoned by the very leaders who are supposed to represent us.

We need to take a step back and really evaluate: If we are to even have a system of government to begin with, why do societies have governments? What are their purpose? You would probably believe the very core functionality and purpose of a government is to maintain societal order, provide public safety, and to resolve disputes between individuals and parties. At least if a system of government wasn’t tyrannical, self-fulfilling, or a monarchy of some kind, that would be its primary objective. If you believe that, you have my train of thought!

To have safe and functional societies, you need laws, those who enforce them, and those who can quell and manage situations that hinder a normal functioning society. Public safety is really a synergy. Those who enforce our laws, our police and other local law enforcement officials, are most certainly essential. Why have laws if they are not enforced, right? But public safety extends beyond just that. We must have people who can put out fires and keep them from spreading, those who can safely remove and transport away the injured entrapped in a vehicle so that vehicle can be moved to free up traffic flow, those who can authoritatively interface with the public during emergencies to reduce the chaos and panic, and those who can respond to disasters to reduce casualties. These men and women are also our firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians, Paramedics, and Rescue Technicians who are equally and as vitally important in maintaining order, public trust, and public safety. Our law enforcement, firefighters, rescue workers, and EMS personnel create the synergy of our public safety infrastructure. When that synergy is fractured, it exposes vulnerabilities that can be exploited and worsen, increasing the risk of disorder, chaos, casualties, and threats.

With the condition we are in today, our first responders are more important than ever! They are fundamental and paramount to keeping public order and preventing nightmare situations from spiraling out of control. Other than the men and women of our armed forces that protect us from international threats, our first responders here at home protect us from threats domestically. When our nation was founded, it was not nearly as dense in population and did not have many of the types of hazards we have today. As societies change and grow, so do our demands. We must adapt to those demands and continue to address the vulnerabilities we face. We can do what we can to prepare ourselves and our families during emergencies, but when the synergy of our public safety infrastructure crumbles, the threats from the outside can grow out of control and pose a threat down to the individual level.

I refuse to sit back and watch our institutions crumble without putting up a fight. I will not tolerate our politicians who downplay, demean, neglect, and/or ignore our public safety, and that includes ANY part of the synergy! I will hold politicians accountable for turning a blind eye to those who abuse our public safety institutions for corruption, self-gain, or malicious behavior. I will see to it those who make a mockery of these fundamental institutions are exposed and shamed. As a longtime Tennessee resident, I demand our leaders fulfill their duties accordingly with respect towards our first responders, their cause, and the residents in which they serve.

I hope to know our public safety resources are there when we need them. With as much taxes I have paid throughout my life so far, I expect nothing less with our first responder agencies having the necessary and adequate tools, training, resources, and capabilities to perform their duties. If this were a loved one of mine, you better believe I would be enraged if my loved one were to sustain more injury or worse because of the incompetence of our leaders. You will NEVER forget it! The nonsense MUST END NOW!