The chaos in the skies today should serve as a glaring red flag to anyone paying attention. The airplane industry, once a testament to American innovation and safety, seems to be unraveling at the seams. We’re seeing doors falling off planes, and even air traffic control – the tireless, often unsung heroes of safe travel – is veering into turmoil. This isn’t merely an oversight or a sudden lapse in standards. The writing has been on the walls for years.

The frustrations are not confined to anonymous commentators online. People in the field, those who’ve dedicated their lives to mastering the skies, are seeing this trend firsthand. The result? Experienced professionals chose to retire early, avoiding the chaos wrought by changes in hiring practices. It’s a situation few understand better than those left picking up the pieces of the once-proud Federal Aviation Administration. What competent individual would want to work in such a demoralizing environment?

This pervasive mindset is also seeping into our educational systems with equally devastating results. Teachers express despair over classrooms filled with students who’ve become digital zombies, inattentive and unengaged. Our future pilots, air traffic controllers, and engineers are losing the skills they’ll need to save the very industries currently under siege. And with this trend unchecked, what hope do we have for improvement?

Seeing where this path leads should be a wake-up call. As conservatives, we must push back against an environment that celebrates mediocrity and ensures students and professionals alike are chosen and trained based primarily on their abilities. Otherwise, we risk more than just a decline in education or the functionality of an industry—we risk people’s lives. With politics seemingly seeping into every corner of life, perhaps it’s time to apply simple common sense and merit back into arenas that demand only the best. Maybe it’s time we demand accountability, rather than simply pack a parachute every time we travel.