There are heroes and villains in this world. Russia and other totalitarian states are embroiled in corruption, countless unreported atrocities and general malpractice. We are right to distance ourselves from such antagonistic powers. But does knowing what makes a nation not good mean that we embody — let alone know — what makes one good?

We must not put more unfit people in power just because of the party they affiliate themselves with. To ensure a better future for America we must improve the system we have been given by voting for candidates based on their merit, not their party.

What was once a way to see the funny videos your friends were uploading, social media has become a landfill of advertisements disguised as entertainment. Whether you realize it or not, you are exposed to hundreds of ads each day that influence your decision-making.

Science purports to have solved the proverbial question of whether infinite monkeys clacking away at typewriters could recreate Shakespeare’s works. They haven’t.

It’s not too late for the church to course-correct. Megachurches have the potential to do so much good, but only if they prioritize the Gospel over growth, humility over fame and service over spectacle. This means holding leaders accountable, ensuring transparency in financial practices and refocusing on the spiritual nourishment of their congregations.

We’re living in a world where a figure involved with the new administration does a Nazi salute at the presidential inauguration, books about government censorship are being banned by the government and cities are destroyed during “peaceful” protests. We’ve seen this unfold before. Make no mistake, political extremism is alive and and well, feeding off strategically placed propaganda running rampant through our media.