Roger Sabbadini, Indivisible Bend Member & Emeritus Professor of Biology
Since 2014, I have been enjoying coffee every Tuesday morning in Bend with a group of buddies. We usually chat about fishing and tell tall tales of when we were young and more vibrant. We often engage in conversations that we term “organ recitals” - commiserations relating to our physical ailments. Yes, we are older gentlemen who like to embellish, but do so with twinkles in our eyes. We also talk serious politics and are often joined by local elected representatives and candidates who want to chat or ask for our support. We originally called our group OBGYN standing for Old Bend Guys Yacking about Nothing. We are not always politically correct. The progressive political group The Vocal Seniority sprung out of this group in 2016 after Donald Trump was elected president. The VS became the first Indivisible Group in Central Oregon. The VS only recently changed its name to Indivisible Bend after that domain name was released and, in an effort to attract a younger crowd. Currently, there are over nine hundred members of IB, formerly VS.
Anyway, I want to return to today’s discussion over coffee. One of our fellows declared that he was depressed and wanted to talk about it, and we did. He was suffering from a condition that I call Political Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PPTSD). My buddy’s PPTSD is caused by the current political environment. It is quite understandable and normal to be depressed, particularly if you are like my friend who is a very thoughtful person. He is a grandfather, and we grandfathers are concerned about the terrible political, societal, and environmental situations that our grandchildren will have to face. As seniors, we are also worried about the future of Medicare/Medicaid, Social Security, medical science, and other institutions on which we depend.
All of us in the coffee group believe that our ship of state is in peril. It is like the Titanic, sailing in stormy waters and heading straight for the perilous icebergs of climate change, economic downturn, and, most immediately, a constitutional crisis. President Trump is the captain of this ship of state, but he is in his cabin watching Fox News and not on the bridge where he should be. The pilots of the ship, Congress and the Supreme Court, can see the icebergs in their binoculars but are powerless to turn the rudder because they are following a course laid out by a dysfunctional captain and the chart bearings described in Project 2025. We passengers are the only hope to save the ship. The public must break out of steerage, go on deck, and protest before we hit the icebergs. On April 5th, millions got on deck to protest in a national event called “Hands OFF!”. On Saturday, June 14th, a similar national day of protest occurred, termed “No Kings Day.” Over 4,000 concerned citizens attended here in Bend. On October 18th, citizens of Bend and other communities in Central Oregon will gather again to stand up for our precious democracy that is at risk, the human and due process rights that are being abridged, and the rule-of-law that is challenged by the administration. We concerned citizens also worry about institutions that are being deconstructed – organizations that have provided our health and safety these many years. No Kings 2.0 rallies will occur nation-wide giving us a platform to express our outrage.
Yes, our current course is perilous, but there are blue skies and clear waters ahead if we help navigate the ship. We should muster up, get on deck, and have hope that we will succeed in getting back on course. Because hope is the elixir that cures the malaise of PPTSD and provides society with the resilience needed to face challenges.
A Version of the following was published as an OPED in The Bend Bulletin on June 12, 2025.
