The right to vote, and to have that vote counted, is the defining feature of our democratic system. As we all learned four years ago, that sacred right doesn’t mean much to Donald Trump, who made clear his willingness to casually throw out tens of millions of legally cast ballots if he doesn’t like the outcome.

Our congressman, Andy Harris, chairman of the comically misnamed Freedom Caucus, shares Donald Trump’s and J.D. Vance’s disdain for elections and voters. But Harris’ brand of authoritarianism actually goes a step further. He told a Republican Party dinner in Talbot County last Thursday that, given hurricane damage in western North Carolina, the legislature there should consider dispensing with voting altogether and simply assign the state’s 16 electoral votes to Donald Trump.

Congressman Harris has long been an admirer of Hungary’s authoritarian leader, Viktor Orban. But not even Orban (or for that matter, Russia’s Vladimir Putin or Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei) has gone quite so far as to name a winner before the election. Think about that: Many of the world’s worst leaders at least make a show of democracy.  Our “Freedom Caucus” leader stands alone in his open disdain for democratic ideals.

Naturally, when word of what he said leaked out, Harris tried to walk it back. No one has ever accused the good doctor of being a profile in courage. Rather than owning up to his obvious anti-democratic impulses, he now twists himself into knots to claim that his statement was merely “hypothetical” and taken out of context.

Here’s some context for you. In the days before the January 6, 2021 insurrection, Andy Harris was part of a small group of Donald Trump’s cronies who met in the White House to devise a plot to block the peaceful transfer of power and keep Trump in office by overthrowing the results of a free and fair election.

Are Harris’ colleagues having misgivings about promoting him to a high-level position within their ranks? It sure sounds like it. GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina told Politico “it makes no sense whatsoever to prejudice the election outcome,” and that Harris was misinformed about conditions on the ground in North Carolina. “Bless his heart,” McHenry added, as if Harris were some kindly but feeble-minded cousin.

But Andy Harris is neither kindly nor feeble-minded. He is a smart man, a physician with a long history of success in politics. He knows exactly what he is doing when he allies himself with the likes of wannabe dictators like Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, and Viktor Orban.

Fortunately, we on the Eastern Shore have a chance in this election to let Andy Harris know what we think of someone like him – one who calls himself a leader but would casually discard the rights of his fellow citizens.

After all, we still live in a democracy. For now.

By: Heather R. Mizeur, former Maryland State Legislator and 2022 Democratic Nominee for Congress in MD-01. Ms. Mizeur resides in Chestertown and can be reached at [email protected]

On our annual visit to my wife’s family farm on the Maine coast, we tend to do nearly the same set of activities every year. Hike the “Blue Hill” trail. Kayak to the Deere Isle Bridge and “Sand Dollar Beach.” Visit Bar Harbor. Eat lobsters purchased from a local waterman. Hike to Barred Island across the land bridge at low tide. Swim to the big rock in Billings Cove at high tide. Go progging in tide pools. And lots and lots of porch time mixed in with some chores around the farm.

One of the favorites every year is searching for starfish, now called Sea Stars, at the secret place we named “Starfish Beach.” Most years we see dozens or even hundreds of Sea Stars in widely varying sizes and colors in an hour or two of wading around the tide pools. An eight-inch Sea Star slowly inching along a rock or prying open a mussel is magic for phone-obsessed teens. However, this year we found a total of two small Sea Stars over two separate visits with eight children and half that number of adults searching for hours.

According to local naturalists, the decline of Sea Stars and other tide pool critters at our “secret” spot has a variety of causes – starting with collectors. A few years ago, our Starfish Beach was discovered by collectors of Sea Stars and Sea Urchins, who sell them online to aquarium and shell companies. This practice has been stopped and sanctuary status is being pursued for the area. Warming waters caused by climate change are also having a significant impact. The Gulf of Maine is one of the most rapidly warming oceans on Earth, causing many species to move north, including lobsters and other sedentary bottom dwellers, to suffer from increased disease and competition from invasive species like Green Crabs. There have also been sporadic but severe die-offs of Sea Stars along the Maine Coast from Sea Star Wasting Disease, a little-known condition made worse by warming waters.

In a family conversation later, one of the elders explained that everything must learn to adapt to survive. This drew a sharp rebuke from others about the unfairness of humans adapting to climate change by using more air conditioning while animals were often left to move north or die. This issue of responsibility obviously needs a more careful discussion at a later date.

While I am immensely proud of the conservation wins that have occurred to save species and habitats during my lifetime. I am also often saddened by the more recent tidal wave of losses to crises like climate change and overdevelopment. Seeing those kids looking doggedly for starfish without success is one of the saddest reminders about the world we are leaving to them.

Rob Etgen retired in 2021 after a 40-year career in conservation, the last 31 years as President of Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. In retirement, Rob is enjoying family and working on global and local sustainability issues with Council Fire Consulting out of Annapolis.

One of my favorite lines from Melvin Udall, aka Jack Nicolson, in the film As Good as It Gets is,” Go sell crazy somewhere else; we’re all stocked up.”  I’ve been thinking about that line a lot lately. Here’s why.

Independent presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. has touted bizarre anti-vax theories, claimed that CIA agents were responsible for the JFK assassination, and said that an abnormality in his brain scan was caused by a worm that got into his brain, ate a portion of it, and died there. Recently he confessed to dumping a baby bear’s body in Central Park.

While on the campaign trail, Donald Trump has repeatedly talked about Hannibal Lecter, his golf game, and shocking sharks. Tell me that’s not crazy.

Republican VP Nominee J.D. Vance lamented that the country was being run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies.”  He also said that people without children were “deranged” and “psychotic.” Before becoming Trump’s running mate, he called himself a “never-Trump guy” and called Trump an “idiot,” “noxious,” “reprehensible,” and “America’s Hitler.”  

Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has ranted about Pelosi’s “Gazpacho Police,” claimed that 9/11 attacks were partly conducted by the Federal Government, suggested that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was replaced with a body double before her death in 2020, argued that global warming is beneficial to humanity because more food is grown when it’s warmer which feeds people, called January 6 “a little riot,” and stated that California wildfires were started by Jewish laser beams. I could go on, but I’ll stop right there.

Paul Gosar (R-AZ) called January 6 rioters “peaceful patriots” and tweeted out an animated video showing himself killing Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Several of Gosar’s own siblings have repeatedly called on him to resign from Congress, claiming that he is “immune to shame,” and has displayed “unhinged behavior” and didn’t possess the “intellect, character or maturity to serve in Congress.”  

Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala) called the three branches of government, “The House, the Senate, and the Executive.” 

Bob Menendez (D-NJ) was convicted of all charges in his corruption trial, including accepting bribes of gold and cash and acting as a foreign agent to the Egyptian government.

Matt Gaetz (R-FL) continues to be under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for sex trafficking violations, illegal drug use, inappropriate use of campaign funds, and more. Couple that with his major league dramatically overly botoxed face at the Republican convention, and it’s difficult to take the guy seriously. 

So why are there so many unserious poor representatives in Congress? Many observers blame the current situation on Newt Gingrich who was Speaker of the House for four years in the late 90’s. Gingrich made fund raising a priority and massively gutted congressional budgets and downsized committee staff. Dozens of the most knowledgeable and experienced legislative staff members left Capitol Hill as a result. Today most members of congress don’t write legislation or develop legislative ideas themselves, instead they rely on Think Tanks like The Heritage Foundation (author of the now infamous Project 2025), The American Enterprise Institute, and The Brookings Institution. 

Gingrich embraced the philosophy of aggressively confronting the opposing party instead of seeking common ground and focusing on legislation. He sought attention for his party, and the ploy worked. Gingrich, more than any other Republican, is responsible for his party regaining a majority in the House of Representatives after many years of Democratic majorities. The Gingrich philosophy is still embraced on Capitol Hill. So now instead of substantive dialogue, we see delight in humiliating speakers at Congressional hearings, and endless grandstanding of congresspeople like Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Josh Hawley (R-KS), MTG (R-GA) Ted Cruz (R-TX), Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and a host of others. 

A Pew Research Study shows that a majority of Americans have a very negative view of politicians. I understand why. The caliber of some elected officials is past embarrassing. Many of them are self-serving and ineffective. 

So, what’s to be done? For starters. both political parties should require candidates running under their banner to pass a basic civics test—along the lines of a citizenship exam—as a prerequisite for holding public office. Clearly other reforms are needed, including reviving ethics in campaign spending, banning lobbyists from fundraising for politicians, strengthening criminal anti-corruption laws, banning individual stock ownership by members of Congress, and posting legislation at least three days before a vote so that all members have the ability to read proposed legislation. Let’s be clear. We need to get serious. The swamp has not been drained and both parties need to work together to fix it.

In Joseph Heller’s novel Catch 22, the character Yossarian said, “Insanity is contagious.” It certainly seems that way, since this is the craziest group of elected officials I remember in my lifetime. Let’s hope a cure is on the horizon. It can’t come a moment too soon. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, piano, and nature.

This week Donald Trump spoke at a National Association of Black Journalists Conference and said that Kamala Harris used to be Indian and now she says she’s Black. He went on to question, “So is she Indian or is she Black?” What I want to know is what difference does it make? 

Trump, a man who once claimed that Obama was not born in the United States and that he was the founder of ISIS, this week claimed that Kamala Harris does not really like Jewish people. Oh wait, she is married to a Jewish man. Trump then dug himself an even deeper hole when he claimed that all undocumented migrants coming into the country are taking “Black” jobs—whatever that means. 

I have grown weary of all these “dust ups” about race, gender identity, and more. Why don’t we just talk about the best person for the job? The best experience. The best judgment. The best platform to propel America in the right direction and not be so hung up on race, gender identity, and looks. 

For decades no one complained when two white guys were on the same ticket, which was the case for most of my life. Now, it’s wait, you can’t have two women on the same ticket. Wait, you can’t have a woman and a gay guy on the same ticket. Wait, you can’t have two Black people on the same ticket. Wait, you can’t have a Black woman and a Jewish man on the same ticket. And now, thanks to the Republican VP Nominee J.D. Vance, we can also discriminate against childless “cat ladies” who, according to him, should not have an equal say in political decisions. 

It is time to get over it. Here’s a concept. Let’s select the most qualified people to do the job, regardless of race, sex, or gender identity. 

A case in point. Many of my friends have said that they wish Harris would select Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg as her running mate. He has been in the military. He has been a mayor. He has had a cabinet post and thus has been on the national stage. And of equal importance, he is extremely articulate, quick on his feet, passionate about climate change, and resonates well with young voters. But then my friends go on to say, “It is not going to happen. We cannot have a woman—especially a Black woman—and a gay man on the ticket together. Not in this racist country. It is not going to work.” 

Should you care if the candidate is a convicted felon? The answer is yes. Should you care if the candidate lies consistently, or is patently unqualified given his past experience? The answer is yes. Should you care if the candidate is sexist or racist, discriminates against other Americans, and makes demeaning and cruel remarks about his opponent? The answer is yes. Should you care if the candidate espouses different views than your own about women’s reproductive rights, income inequality, climate change, education, taxes, and other substantive issues? The answer is yes.

It feels like some candidates are working from a playbook that worked decades ago but is no longer valid. Many Americans have evolved. The fact that a candidate is gay, or Black, or Jewish, or Catholic isn’t an issue for them. Many Americans have close relatives who are gay or trans, or of mixed race, and they want to be sure that they have the same rights and respect as every other American. 

It is time to challenge conventional wisdom. The whole argument that if we give marginalized people more power—more equality–we will lose what we have is bogus. A rising tide lifts all boats. 

I am making a fervent plea that we strive to seek the best candidate for the position regardless of race, gender identity, or looks. Let’s try to do the right thing for America. It is way past time to put divisive politics, gender, and race issues aside, and work with all our might to elect the most qualified candidates. This is a complex country with many pressing issues. We need to elect the best candidates who will implement appropriate solutions for the problems of the day. We must ensure that America works towards becoming the best that it can be. 

Civil rights icon John Lewis said it best when he said, “Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part.” 

We can do this. We can do better.

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the Federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, piano, bicycling, kayaking, and nature. 

Call me crazy, but I don’t get why people who say incredibly damning things about a candidate then turn around and support him. Not only support him but campaign to be his vice president. Here are some comments from Trump’s current VP contenders.

Marco Rubio. “He runs on this idea that he is fighting for the little guy. But he has spent his entire career, sticking it to the little guy…If you all have friends who are thinking about voting for Donald Trump, friends do not let friends vote for con artists.”

J.D. Vance. “I’m a never Trump guy.” “I never liked him.”  “My god, what an idiot.” He’s “noxious” and “reprehensible.” 

Doug Burgum. “I would not do business with Trump.” “It’s important that you’re judged by the company you keep.”  

So, how weird is it that Trump would narrow his VP picks down to these three guys? Not sure I would select someone as my running mate who has said so many derogatory things about me. And I certainly wouldn’t put aside all my principles to partner up with this guy.

Nikki Haley called Trump “unhinged “and “diminished.” She said making Trump the nominee, “is like suicide for our country.” She also said that “Trump showed that with that kind of disrespect for the military, he’s not qualified to be president of the United States, because I don’t trust him to protect them.” Haley has now endorsed Trump and last week turned over her delegates to him.

The list of those who have said damning things about Trump and then turned around and endorsed him is long. It includes Senator Mitch McConnell, Senator Lindsay Graham, former Attorney General William Barr, Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, and Representative Elise Stefanik, to name only a few.

The few Republicans who have stuck to their guns and refused to endorse the guy include Chris Christie, former governor of New Jersey; former speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin; Asa Hutchinson, former governor of Arkansas; Mike Pence, former vice president; Liz Cheney, former representative of Wyoming; and Adam Kinzinger, former representative of Illinois. 

You may say, hey it’s just politics. But I don’t think so. It’s just politics when you are generally on the same page as your opponents and are singing off the same song sheet when it comes to policies and priorities. It’s not just politics when you decide to join a cult with a guy you find utterly reprehensible, has no moral scruples, and is a convicted felon. 

The philosopher Hannah Arendt once said, “Only crime and the criminal, it is true, confront us with the perplexity of radical evil, but only the hypocrite is really rotten to the core.”  Amen.

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, piano, kayaking, biking, gardening, and nature. 

The upcoming Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, July 15-18, recalls another GOP gathering 60 years ago at the huge Cow Palace arena near San Francisco, July 13-16, 1964. 

It was a chaotic affair.  Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, the darling of right-wing Republicans, was the party’s leading nominee for President.  But on June 12, a month before the convention, party liberals and moderates, including Milton Eisenhower, then president of Johns Hopkins University, youngest brother of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, pushed hard for the nomination of the popular governor of Pennsylvania, William Scranton. (As assistant to Milton Eisenhower I witnessed much of the maneuvering prior to the convention.)

Goldwater and Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York had waged a bitter battle in the primaries but, when it became clear that Goldwater was likely to win, a “Draft Scranton” movement took shape. Scranton tossed his hat into the ring on June 12, just a month before the convention. Milton Eisenhower nominated him for President. Delegates from 10 states, including Maryland, gave Scranton their votes on the first ballot. It was too late. Goldwater was nominated with 833 votes to Scranton’s 214. Nelson Rockefeller, also on the ballot, came in at 114.

Following his victory, Goldwater, on July 17, paid a visit to Dwight Eisenhower at his St. Francis Hotel suite in San Francisco. Milton Eisenhower prepared a memorandum of the conversation. 

The former President expressed his concern about two critical sentences in Goldwater’s acceptance speech: “Extremism in the defense of liberty is not a vice,” and “Moderation in support of justice is not a virtue.” Milton wrote: “The two critical sentences were construed as support for the right-wing elements of the Party and a repudiation of more moderate Republicans.”

Goldwater denied any intention of conveying such meanings but Dwight Eisenhower said the Senator needed to make clarifying statements to calm moderate Republicans who were calling him in great dismay and deep concern. Goldwater said he would try to do that but added that his differences with Rockefeller and some other party moderates were irreconcilable. 

A few days after the convention ended the former President and Mrs. Eisenhower arrived from California by train, late at night, in Harrisburg, PA. near their farm in Gettysburg. Their two handsomely outfitted, old fashioned rail cars, were dropped off on a siding in the rail yards. Milton said his brother had invited him to have breakfast with him and Mrs. Eisenhower, on the train, before they departed for the farm.  He asked me to go with him.

Conversation among the Eisenhowers at the small, round breakfast table in the corner of one of the ornate cars, was a  post-convention analysis with many expressions of concern about what Goldwater’s nomination meant for the country and the party. (In November, President Lyndon Johnson trounced Goldwater, winning 61 percent of all votes.)

Breakfast was served by John Moaney, the former Army master sergeant who had been Eisenhower’s valet throughout World War II and was his companion until Eisenhower died in March, 1969. Moaney and his wife, Dolores, were born in Talbot County. Following their deaths in February, 1978 and September, 2014, respectively, they were buried in DeShields Church Cemetery near Easton.  

Ross Jones is a former vice president and secretary emeritus of The Johns Hopkins University. He joined the University in 1961 as assistant to President Milton S. Eisenhower. A 1953 Johns Hopkins graduate, he later earned a Master’s Degree at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

Just when you thought things could not get worse from a political perspective, they did. The Supreme Court ruled that the President has presumed immunity for official acts. Pretty unbelievable. For those who do not think this is a big deal, think again. Such broad immunity from criminal prosecution means that checks and balances in the system are almost nonexistent. Politically motivated, groundless investigations and prosecutions can now be considered official acts. Even the assassination of a political rival could be considered an official act. The list goes on. And don’t get me started on the Supreme Court’s damaging reversal of the Chevron decision which will severely limit the ability of Federal agencies to enforce vital environmental, financial, safety, and health regulations. 

And then there is the Supreme Court itself. Already, I have been gobsmacked by the lack of ethical guardrails that the Supreme Court enjoys. 

Many of us who worked or consulted with the Federal government were relentlessly instructed about how careful we must be around even the slightest hint of impropriety. Each year we took a mandatory ethics course in which we were reminded that it is against the law to leverage work on government contracts for financial gain. We were reminded that government employees cannot accept gifts during a procurement which include gratuities, favors, discounts, entertainment, hospitality, and loans. 

Consultants across the country are rigorous in their adherence to these rules. They are extra careful even about casual lunches in offices—careful to have only sandwiches and ice teas so that it in no way is considered unlawful. A few things government employees can accept include light refreshments, a small gift worth under $25 and free attendance at meetings or conferences where an agency person is presenting. Even a book presented to a federal employee has to be worth less than $25.

The Hatch Act, a law that governs political activities of federal civilian executive branch employees, ensures that programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion; that Federal employees are protected from political coercion; and ensures that Federal employee advancement is based on merit and not political affiliation. Some Federal employees have even more stringent restrictions, including employees in several intelligence agencies, the Secret Service, Office of the Special Counsel, SES employees (Senior Executive Service), administrative law judges, contracts appeals board members, and administrative appeals judges. 

The Hatch Act also prohibits Federal employees from using their authority to influence or affect the outcome of elections; solicit accept or receive political contributions, be candidates for partisan elections, and solicit or discourage political activities of people with business before their employing office. Additionally, employees may not engage in political activities while they are on duty, in the Federal workplace, while wearing government uniforms or badges, and while operating government vehicles. 

Now let’s take a look at some of the activities of Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. 

Justice Thomas has received 103 gifts worth more than $2.4 million between 2004 and 2023. These gifts included destination vacations, private jet flights, VIP sport event passes, luxury resort stays, invitations to private golf clubs, and more. These gifts came from wealthy Republican donors. The vast majority of them were not disclosed. 

Justice Thomas’ wife Ginny has participated in activities to help former President Trump overturn his election defeat. She texted White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and contacted lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin weeks after the election and before the insurrection on January 6. She also attended the rally at the White House before the insurrectionists marched to the Capitol.

Justice Alito accepted 16 gifts worth a combined $170,095. Alito’s wife Martha-Ann flew an Appeals to Heaven flag and upside-down American flags in the couple’s homes. These flags are known to be associated with far-right policies. Mrs. Alito also committed to flying a Sacred Heart of Jesus flag to protest the display of an LGBTQ flag flown in their neighborhood. The “Sacred” flag is often flown by those who oppose gay rights. 

There is no way it makes sense for the so-called “Supreme” justices of the land to be exempt from laws that other judges and almost every Federal government employee and contractor must follow. 

And let’s also discuss age limits for Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Presidency. 

The average age of senators in Congress right now is 64. Fifty-four senators are older than 65. One senator is 90, four senators are in their 80’s and five are in their 70’s. The average age in the House is 57, with 12 representatives in their 80’s and 15 representatives in their 70’s. Two Supreme Court Justices—the two most conservative ones–are in their 70’s; two more are 69, one is 63, and three are in their 50’s.  

Clarence Thomas joined the Supreme Court in 1991 which means he has been a Justice for 33 years. Justice Alito has served on the Supreme Court since 2006 which means he has been on the Court for 18 years. Ruth Bader Ginsburg took her seat in 1993 and served on the Court for 27 years. 

At this point, the Constitution does not specify qualifications for age, education, profession, term limits, or native-born citizenship for the Supreme Court. This makes no sense. It is also crystal clear that many Supreme Court justices gauge their retirement based on the political party in power, thereby politicizing their appointment even more. 

Congress has no term or age limits, other than that it requires that a candidate be at least 30 years old to be sworn in for the Senate and 25 years old to be sworn in for the House. The presidency has a two four-year term limit, no age limit, and requires that you must be at least 35 years of age, be a natural born citizen, and must have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years. The median age at Inauguration of incoming Presidents is 55. John F. Kennedy was the youngest elected president sworn in at 43 years. Joe Biden was the oldest elected president sworn in at 78 years.

Does anyone really believe that either of the two current candidates for President—Trump at 78 or Biden at 81—will effectively execute the office of President for four years beginning in January 2025?

It is way beyond time to enforce age limits for Congress, the Supreme Court, and the Presidency. And every effort must be made to establish and adhere to meaningful and enforceable ethics rules for the Supreme Court which both Congress and the Presidency are required to follow. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the Federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, gardening, piano, kayaking, biking, and nature. 

Hulu series We Were the Lucky Ones

After spending some time in various states in the U.S. and traveling in Europe, I came back to the Eastern Shore and thought to myself, “We are the lucky ones!” I often take for granted how special the Eastern Shore is with its exceptionally friendly and welcoming residents, abundance of birds, trees, and sparkling shorelines, sailing, motor boating, kayaking, and biking opportunities, delectable crabs, spectacular sunsets, increasingly superb dining options, musical performances, Plein Air and other art shows, and so much more. It is truly my spiritual homecoming. 

While taking some time to appreciate this glory, I realized that we may not always focus on the delicate balance we must hold sacred. That means preserving and protecting our environment, studiously dealing with infrastructure issues, and promoting transparent governance that protects the land we hold so dear. 

Lately, there have been contentious debates about uncontrolled housing growth (Trappe-Lakeside); intense arguments about local elections (Oxford); disagreements about what should happen with available building sites (Easton Safeway debate—local market vs townhouse development) to name only a few.

We have seen what can happen with uncontrolled and unregulated growth. The Eastern Shore already struggles with infrastructure issues. Currently there is a shortage of healthcare providers. We struggle with bridge traffic, roads not designed for current traffic flows, sufficient school funding and capacity issues, water quality, eroding shorelines, dwindling crab and fish populations, wastewater runoffs polluting the Bay, flooding, inadequate sewage solutions and more. 

These are issues that can be solved with careful, deliberate, well-informed decision-making. We must deal sensibly with decisions about bridges, how to improve high-speed internet connectivity, whether it is a promising idea to expand natural gas pipelines, and grapple with how best to provide low-cost electric power and determine the best methods of improving water quality. 

A prime culprit in all this is opting for short-term profits over long-term environmental and sustainability improvements. 

Today our country is almost hopelessly divided. Decisions that should have been made long ago are at an impasse. 

On the Eastern Shore, let’s make a concerted effort not to succumb to that level of dysfunction. It can only lead to great unhappiness for all concerned. We must try harder to work together and examine all aspects of our issues, recognize the pros and cons of various approaches, keep open minds, be respectful of different points of view, and, in the end, make decisions that will result in a healthy and sustainable Eastern Shore. We can do this. 

I just finished watching the Hulu series We Were the Lucky Ones. The series is based on a true story about a family living in Poland before World War II that fought hard to cultivate a life filled with music, art, and love. It is devastating when the acts of others cause that entire way of life to disappear. I highly recommend the series. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the Federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, gardening, piano, kayaking, biking, and nature.