Having trouble sorting through the deluge of weirdness

The weirdness just washes over us these days... and it almost all comes through social media and TV. 

Just this week I saw that a Colorado legislator has introduces a bill to legalize concealed carry for anyone 18 year of age. He claims on his website to love the Lord, to value families and vehemently oppose abortion. He is a Second Amendment champion and (I guess) his idea to covertly arm America's youth is the logical extension of his faith in weapons.

This proposed law has no chance of even getting out of committee in Colorado. It's purely performative, and I get it: that's how politics works today. But I do wonder if he can actually imagine thousands of high school seniors packing heat as they head out to work at the grocery store or just to hang at the mall. 

Hey, I like 18-year-olds. I was one. But let's not arm them in the vague hope that "it takes a high school senior to stop a criminal." Actually, isn't that something all Americans could come together on?

Here's another post that caught my eye this week, this time from Colorado State University, where I continue to plague young writers who find proofreading to be an unfair burden (well, that's how it appears at times): A report claims that 60 percent of American college students "meet the criteria for at least one mental health problem." 

Hold on. I know there is a flood of transgender athletes ruining college sports but over half of all college students qualifying for mental health support? THAT seems like an alarming fact that we ought to think about. When 60 percent of a population has some form of mental health problem, it makes me think the following:

• We are defining "mental health problem" too broadly. 
• Is more education producing more mental illness? Or should we be surveying young Americans NOT in college to see how they are doing? 
• If everyone is in need of mental health services, how many mental health professionals do we need? 

I would never want to downplay whatever mental or physical challenges those around us are experiencing, and I accept that modern life and the pandemic and political and economic conflicts are difficult. But are they more difficult than, say, life during the Civil War? More difficult than penniless immigrants in the 19th century working dangerous and exhausting jobs just to eat? 

I realize I am indulging in 'whataboutism," but 60 percent??!! I have 30 in my CSU writing class. What do I do with the fact that I should expect 18 of them to be in need of mental health services of some sort? Will insisting on them reading the entire assignment prompt push someone over the edge? Should I avoid deducting points for late work because of the likelihood that their assignments were caused by a mental health crisis or, perhaps, a therapy appointment that went long?

Among many other examples of weirdness from just this week are the endless whining commentaries from the press on "what's wrong with the Democrats?" Why aren't they fighting (and winning)? And what about our Arab-American friends in places like Dearborn, Michigan suddenly noticing that the new president misled them? 

Oh, and then there is the 50 cent per egg Waffle House surcharge that made headlines. And Musk and "Big Balls," the online name for his 19-year-old engineer now combing through America's personal data. And $100 million in condoms for Hamas. And it goes on and on.

But, hey, Sunday is the Super Bowl, and we can enjoy TV commercials that cost $8 million for one spot, munch on over a billion chicken wings (could this be why there is an egg shortage?), and revel in large men beating the heck out of each other as pop stars cheer. 

On Monday we can make an appointment with our therapist or pharmacist. Let's enjoy the weekend.