A couple of mornings ago, I tagged along with my daughter Willow as she headed out to Hickory Grove Farms to do the morning chores.
In freezing cold, she fed the little pig named Zero, who danced with delight when she approached his pen with leftover bread and milk. I helped bottle feed a few of the new lambs and delighted in their softness. Those few moments of caring for other sentient beings left me feeling grounded and somewhat hopeful.
After I came inside, the farm’s owner – Ann – and I sat in her kitchen over a cup of tea, and our discussion touched upon the unsettling reality facing our nation. We came to one conclusion: Our country as we know it is unraveling at an unprecedented pace and it is unsettling. Let’s take a look at two proposed changes likely to affect all of us.
Social Security. Millions of Americans rely on Social Security benefits. I recently spent 90 minutes on hold to the Social Security office in Quincy before reaching a human who sounded overwhelmed and exhausted. My local office was incredibly kind and helpful. I was calling to report that my husband Michael had died in January. While I am too young to collect monthly benefits, I can collect a $255 death benefit.
Although its current staffing of about 57,000 is already at a 50-year low, DOGE plans to cut an additional 7,000 jobs. Soon, the agency will no longer allow the majority of beneficiaries to confirm their identity over the phone as they file for benefits or report a change in direct deposits. People will now need to apply for benefits online (which isn’t an option for my situation) or in person at their nearest Social Security office.
In person meetings aren’t convenient or even possible for many people. The nearest Social Security offices in our region are located in Quincy, Illinois and Burlington, Iowa. These offices are already an hour drive, one way from my home in Macomb. I am hoping to have a phone interview to confirm his benefits before these changes are put in place.
Proof of Citizenship. Last Tuesday, President Trump signed the executive order “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.” In addition to ordering a plethora of changes to voting machine standards and information-sharing arrangements between the federal and state governments, the order instructs the Election Assistance Commission to change its national mail voter registration form requiring documented proof of citizenship. At the same time, in Congress, the so-called SAVE Act would similarly mandate proof of citizenship documents. The bill is scheduled for a vote in the House this week.
According to The Guardian, over 21 million voting-age American citizens don’t readily have access to documented proof of citizenship. A 2023 survey from the Brennan Center for Justice, reports over 3.8 million people lack access to any of those documents.
The potential impact crosses political and demographic lines: Poor voters, voters of color and indigenous voters are less likely to have certain documentation. The Center for American Progress noted in January that Republican women are more likely to report taking their husbands’ last names, which complicates the process.
The League of Women Voters note that “The SAVE Act is both unnecessary and dangerous. Voters in every state are already required to affirm or verify their citizenship status when registering to vote. Federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections. Every single state bars noncitizens from voting in state elections. The SAVE Act could create additional, unnecessary barriers for women who have taken their spouse's name… ”
So, let me add one more thing to my “to do” list. As I track down a certified copy of our marriage certificate, since I hyphenated my last name 30 years ago when Michael and I were married.
Writing about these two proposed changes has left me feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. As the poet Alison Luterman suggests, I am going to sit with my pups and bask in the joy of them “almost exploding out of their skins with perfect happiness” as I brush them and rub their ears. They help ground me. I suggest that we all try and find our joy in these tumultuous times.
Heather McIlvaine-Newsad is a Professor of Anthropology at Western Illinois University. Her research focuses on collaborative action for sustainability.
The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the university or TSPR.
Diverse viewpoints are welcomed and encouraged.