As I watch the unrest in Minnesota, the anguish surrounding Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations across the country, and the tragic deaths of two Americans, I’m reminded of something every athlete understands. In sports, when a coach loses the locker room, it means the team has lost its unity, its purpose, its drive. Players stop fighting for each other and start fighting for themselves. That is what it feels like in America right now.
We have forgotten how to fight for one another. We have forgotten how to see the humanity in those who disagree with us. We have forgotten how to hold leaders accountable without tearing the country apart. We have forgotten that justice and mercy are not opposing forces — they are the twin pillars of a healthy democracy.
I find myself wishing I could pick up the phone and call Jimmy Carter again. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, when I was searching for answers, he offered me wisdom that steadied my spirit and sharpened my purpose. The former president reminded me that leadership is not about power — it is about presence. It is about listening when the streets cry out and responding with courage, humility and truth.
America is standing in another defining moment. We still have time to reclaim our unity, our purpose and our shared destiny. But only if we choose to hear the cry, face the truth and rebuild the locker room of this nation together.
Tony Lowden, Kathleen, Georgia
The writer was pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia.
Questions and answers
Theodore R. Johnson’s Jan. 29 op-ed, “A student asked how to improve government. My reply was disappointing.,” was inspired by an email from Presley Leamer, a high school student from Dallas. Here is Leamer’s response to the column:
Growing up in this political era leaves you with a lot of questions.
It’s “liberty and justice for all,” but what about the people who look, work, pray and love differently? It feels like young people are expected to change the system, but we aren’t getting help. Older generations are handing down their political problems and saying, “Fix this, it’s not our problem anymore.” It feels like they don’t care because it’s not a future that they have to live in.
We are told that a big thing we can do to make a difference is to vote, but what happens when the vote feels like just another paper in a box?
We see senseless tragedies every day on social media. What change came out of 5-year-old Liam Ramosbeing detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents on his way home from school? Why wasn’t there more outrage after Americans saw Renée Good being shot and killed? What about the young children sitting in court having to defend their own cases because their parents were sent away?
People are feeling hopeless. It’s hard to see people not care about your future. But we can’t let these events become just another page in a history book. Young people should try to make a difference by protesting, speaking out and changing our world for the better, but we need our elders to help us, too.
Presley Leamer, Dallas
Theodore R. Johnson stated that the best way to strengthen our country is to be better neighbors. The recommendation is a worthy but incomplete prescription.
Civic friendship matters, but it does not, by itself, address the deeper dysfunction in how we talk about and govern ourselves.
If we truly want to improve government, we must begin by listening to understand, not simply to respond. Understanding does not guarantee agreement, but it is a necessary precondition for any durable solution in a diverse democracy.
We can see the cost of failed understanding in controversies such as local decisions not to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, as in recent Minneapolis cases involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. When local and federal authorities talk past each other, and when community concerns and public safety responsibilities are framed as mutually exclusive, the result is avoidable conflict and preventable harm. Allowing a good-faith dialogue about roles, risks and responsibilities could lead to outcomes that better protect both neighborhoods and the rule of law.
Being better neighbors is a good start, but it is not enough. To strengthen American self-government, we need citizens and officials to listen across differences and then translate that into concrete, lawful action.
Steve Henry, Springfield
Pro-choice voters are watching
Marjorie Dannenfelser’s Jan. 23 op-ed, “Message to Trump and the GOP: Pro-life voters are watching,” said that President Donald Trump and other Republicans should expect a grim showing by pro-life voters in the midterms in part because of the president’s calls for flexibility on the Hyde Amendment.
But she missed the point: Even the self-proclaimed most pro-life administrationhas approved a new generic form of mifepristone because it recognizes an antiabortion platform is out of step with the values and priorities of the majority of Americans. According to a 2025 Gallup poll, nearly 90 percent support some form of abortion legality. Advocates, voters and the court of public opinion are fighting for expanded abortion access, and they are securing wins even under this administration.
Abortion providers, patients and voters across the country know that abortion bans are restrictive, cruel and outdated. These policies jeopardize people’s health and freedom.
If Republicans face a grim midterm year, it will be in part because of their commitment to unpopular antiabortion policies.
Brittany Fonteno, Washington
The writer is president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation.
The post Jimmy Carter’s pastor: Let’s rebuild the nation’s locker room appeared first on Washington Post.
