We The People
by Roberta B Turner

This has been a crazy year and the craziness seems to be continuing. We have a very divided country, major political concerns, and many angry people. The stress of COVID and the unknown affect this is having is bad enough but overspending by trillions of dollars we don’t have is causing financial woes for many people, as is letting illegal immigrants flood the country possibly with COVID and then sending them all over the United States by plane or bus and housing them in hotels. This is crazy behavior. “We the People” doesn’t seem to have any bearing today on what is going on. What is happening to America?

Just recently we went out to dinner at a very popular restaurant in Pompano Beach and we were seated in a booth at the end of the row. Shortly after being seated, another couple was seated in the booth next to us and, after a few minutes, the man stormed out of the booth and didn’t return for quite some time. When he returned, they ordered their beverages and dinners and were instantly unhappy with the waitress. They complained to another waiter, and it became a big issue that was unpleasant to witness. It only became worse with them making ugly comments to the waitress who was trying her best to calm the situation. They were so abusive to her that she began to cry. The manager then arrived at the table and ended up offering them their meals complimentary. The unhappy couple left. My husband believed they planned the whole scene to eat and drink free. They had no regard for hurting this waitress and possibly causing her to lose her job.

We have been going to this restaurant for over twenty years and the last several times the same “awful waitress” was our server, and she was professional, friendly, and made our evening enjoyable. When she walked by us crying, I stopped her to tell her that she was an excellent waitress, that she did nothing wrong, and not to let the unfortunate experience ruin her day. I asked her to send over the manager and decided to share what we witnessed with the manager. This waitress did absolutely nothing wrong. I have never done this before because I always try to mind my own business, but I experienced enough of their hatred that night and their possible prejudice to say enough is enough. It made me feel right. It also made me realize that sometimes you must stand up for someone, even a stranger, in a situation like this.

So many people are ignoring what is going on in this country because they don’t feel they have a voice. I can’t tell you how many people we know that simply stopped watching the news entirely because it is too upsetting. Ignoring something doesn’t accomplish anything. We all need to stand up for what we believe and know that we can make a difference. That night I learned that even the smallest act of kindness can make a difference in a person’s life.

Together “We the people” can make a difference if we make ourselves heard.