To the editor:

The election has passed, and judging from the general tone of things, the way we treat each other hasn’t changed. We still blame, bait and insult our fellow Americans and we refuse to grow up. It seems that playing gotcha is just too much fun to stop. Conducting ourselves like responsible citizens for the sake of all and for the benefit of those who will live after us will just have to wait a while longer.

There is a scarcity of adult minds that hurts us all and that should alarm everyone. Too many of us lack impulse control and we can’t seem to look beyond the present moment. We can’t pass up any opportunity to zing a supposed enemy. We seek constant entertainment to avoid living in the real present and so we ignore what is really going on in our own minds.

We confuse fun with happiness and contentment. We strut and grandstand when we should be thinking about the example we are setting for any child who is, maybe unconsciously, looking for a role model. We all have a limited time on this earth, so it is astounding that we can’t find ways to get along better. Social media can make things worse, degrading our personal relationships and affecting our mental health.

We would all profit from an honest self-appraisal, focusing on our own individual shortcomings instead of pointing an accusing finger at others. What worries me are the consequences that await us if we don’t act soon.

John Rucki

Amsterdam