The sky is not falling, my friends

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

It’s easy to get swept up in the daily drama of social media — the sky-is-falling headlines, the endless doomscrolling, the “we’re doomed” takes from people who haven’t walked outside to notice the mountains still standing tall. But every so often, someone breaks through the noise with a dose of reality.

That’s what podcaster Dan Hollaway did last week on X when he responded to a viral claim that “this administration is losing young voters because it’s obsessed with Israel.” His reply? A blistering reality check that could double as a highlight reel of what’s actually working in America right now.

Let’s look at a few of those wins — and maybe take a breath.

Start with the economy. We’ve added more than 670,000 net jobs since January. Inflation is steady at 2.1 percent. Gas prices are the lowest they’ve been in two decades, and grocery prices — yes, even eggs — have come back down to earth. That’s not a political talking point. That’s life getting a little easier for families who’ve been squeezed for too long.

Behind the numbers are policy shifts that put American workers first: tariff revenue going back into our own economy, tax cuts extended for working families, and businesses finally free from suffocating regulations. I know plenty of small business owners in Colorado who can feel that difference in real time — less paperwork, more paychecks.

Immigration has seen a similar reset. Border encounters are reportedly down over 90 percent, deportations are up, and construction on the southern wall is moving again. The Laken Riley Act — named after the young woman tragically killed by an illegal immigrant — was signed into law to make sure violent offenders aren’t simply released back into communities. Whether you’re Republican or Democrat, that’s something we should all be able to agree on: law and order protects everyone.

And while critics keep yelling about foreign entanglements, the truth is that U.S. foreign policy has been far less reckless and far more results-driven than we’ve seen in decades. Ceasefires have been brokered in some of the world’s most volatile regions. Our NATO allies are finally paying their fair share. Energy independence is real again — and that makes America stronger.

At home, there’s been a return to some common sense. Federal DEI mandates were scrapped, gender policy clarified, and fairness restored in women’s sports. Thousands of people charged in politically driven cases have been pardoned. The government actually opened up some of the files we’ve all wondered about — JFK, RFK, MLK, even Crossfire Hurricane. That kind of sunlight used to be rare in D.C. 

And speaking of change, crime in the capital has dropped sharply — murders down about sixty percent. I didn’t expect to see that in my lifetime, but I’ll take it.

Add in expanded IVF access for families, stronger protections for women under Title IX, a record-setting Apple AI investment, and a revitalized military recruitment drive — and the picture starts to look a lot less like despair and a lot more like renewal.

So when Hollaway closed his post with, “No, dummies, you’re obsessed with Israel. It’s been a very small part of this administration,” he wasn’t being flippant — he was calling out our addiction to outrage. 

We can’t keep measuring America by what’s broken. Sure, we’ve got work to do. But the sky’s not falling, it’s opening up. Maybe it’s time we stop doomscrolling and start looking around at the country we love — because it’s still pretty amazing.

Alright, maybe not for the air traffic controllers — you’ve had a month that could test a saint. The rest of us owe you a drink and some quiet skies.

Sometimes you’ve just got to look up, take a breath, and remember how good we’ve got it.

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.