What Dad Might Say About Today’s World - and What We Can Do About It
I often wonder what my dad, “The Real” Scott Westerman might say about today’s political climate.
Perhaps he would start with a reminder:
This is a difficult era, but it’s still our responsibility to shape it.
Outrage Isn’t a Plan
Yes, people are angry, and for good reasons. But dad would likely warn that outrage can feel like action without producing results. It drains energy, hardens divisions, and turns civic life into a daily stress test.
Real change takes more than passion. It takes discipline.
Guard Your Mind
In a world of nonstop feeds and viral headlines, the fight is often over attention, not truth. He’d urge Americans to slow down and ask:
Is this verified or just shareable?
Am I learning or just reacting?
Does this make me wiser or angrier?
Democracy depends on citizens who can think clearly, even when emotions run high.
Stop Treating Politics Like Entertainment
Modern politics rewards “winning” more than solving problems. But a teacher knows: humiliation doesn’t build communities, it breaks them.
Dad would push us toward a better goal:
Less performance. More participation.
Build Civic Character
He’d say the nation needs more than strong opinions. It needs civic character:
speak honestly without cruelty
disagree without contempt
correct misinformation without becoming hateful
stay engaged without becoming consumed
That kind of steadiness is leadership now.
Start Where You Can Actually Make a Difference
National politics is loud. Local communities are where people live.
Dad would encourage ordinary Americans to focus on what they can touch:
local meetings and school boards
volunteering and mentoring
supporting local journalism
improving conversations in families, workplaces, and neighborhoods
Small actions, repeated widely, become culture change.
Be a Citizen Between Elections
Vote. But don’t stop there. Citizenship isn’t an event. It’s a habit. Most progress is built in unglamorous places by consistent people who refuse to quit.
Give the Next Generation Something Better Than Cynicism
Young people are watching. They’re learning what democracy looks like from us. Dad would likely say:
Be the model.
Show the next generation that truth matters, character matters, and disagreement doesn’t have to destroy community.
Bottom Line
Don’t surrender your agency.
Growing up in our household, we were often guided to stay grounded. Seek truth. Treat people like people. Build locally. Keep showing up.
That’s how ordinary Americans become catalysts for change. Not with noise, but with steady, real work.
In the last weeks of dad’s life, I asked him about all he had witnessed and what he had learned, within the context of the then-current administration… lead by the same president we have now.
“We can't always decide what happens to us," he said. "We can always decide how we will react to it. How you decide to engage in life's ups and downs will make all the difference.”
How will we decide to engage?