Ask Dr. J - Surviving The Turmoil

Published in the February 2026 Edition
By Janan Broadbent, Ph. D.

We are living in times most of us never thought would be a reality in the USA. Although history has examples of such upheavals in other countries, we had the image of that shining city on the hill that did not include armed and masked people creating the havoc we are seeing and not only detaining people with violence but killing them as well.

This is threatening to all but especially to minorities. It challenges our beliefs and values of fairness, justice, and due process. Predictably, those of us who uphold those values and beliefs have mixed reactions of sadness, anger, anxiety, and fear, but also defiance and courage not to accept the repressive actions.

I find the greatest comfort and hope in watching how large and small city residents are getting out, arctic cold notwithstanding, to protest, to hold signs and rally against the government. Once again, it is the human spirit and our connection to other human beings that create the backlash to lawlessness, uncalled-for violence and a general repudiation of what was decency and the freedom-loving American soul.

So I encourage you all to keep the faith in our neighbors, friends, family and community, not to lose hope, and not to despair. It is incredibly disappointing and infuriating when some people we knew as friends turn out to support this unAmerican situation. But courage is indeed contagious. Hold on to your peaceful inner core but keep fighting in any way you can…

"In union there is strength." — Aesop