Safe No More
America in Crisis
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After two productive days of getting things done around the house, I’ve reached a roadblock.
Despite feeling invigorated and eager to get ready for the fall season, I’ve had a dramatic drop in energy and enthusiasm this morning. And it’s not because I feel ill or didn’t sleep well last night (I actually logged eight solid hours).
No, it’s more insidious than those things.
It’s the dark shadow of fascism that steadily creeps across our once secure country.
The recent murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk has accelerated the growing tide of oppression that we are watching in real time.
Major media bootlickers corporations have cancelled two beloved late-night hosts for exercising their First Amendment rights. Fortunately, they brought back Jimmy Kimmel, but Stephen Colbert’s show is done in May 2026.
(Seriously, is it their fault that the Trump regime offers endless fodder for satire and biting criticism?)
Other everyday people have been fired from their jobs for doing the same.
What makes all of this even worse is that I recently listened to Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, a novel about two sisters waging “the women’s war” in German-occupied France during World War II. It’s a compelling tale of lives dramatically and forever changed by the dangerous political movement known as Nazism.
I’m also currently watching the Netflix docuseries, Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial. Director Joe Berlinger masterfully blends colorized archival footage, historical reenactments, audio recordings, and interviews with historians and experts to craft a somber and cautionary narrative.
For me, the combined effects from these two sources are unabashed and heightened fear. I’m not ashamed to tell you that I’m scared.
I’m not wealthy or well-connected. I don’t have the “right” last name. I belong to the Democratic party that is being demonized and blamed for the violence and every other thing that’s wrong in America today.
And yet, we’re the party that has always stood up for people, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or economic status.
We’re the people who believe in the Constitution and that the rule of law applies to everyone equally (including the government itself).
So what’s the answer for those of us who don’t want to live in a dictatorship, stripped of all the rights and freedoms we’ve come to enjoy and appreciate?
Those of us who believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Not just for select people, but for everyone? Where citizens are treated equally and fairly under the law?
It seems like a lifetime ago that I watched the election of our first (and only) black president. I was excited and relieved that, FINALLY, some barriers had been broken down and America was moving on from a past marred by slavery, prejudice, and the persecution of certain groups of people.
As Barack Obama took to the podium for his first remarks as the newly elected American President, I had literal goosebumps and a tightness in my chest that I think was overwhelming hope. Hope that as a young nation, we had learned the hard lessons of the past and were moving towards a future of justice and liberty for all.
That those weren’t just bogus words but actual goals.
I also think that I was holding my breath in anticipation of what was to come. Never in my wildest dreams (or on that particular night) did I imagine it would be what we’re facing today.
It’s growing more difficult to strike a balance between staying informed and losing one’s shit mind.
For now, I’m going to focus on the upcoming visit with family. In the background, I’ll be writing postcards to voters and engaging in other forms of activism that allow me to remain anonymous.
It feels safer in a country that grows increasingly dangerous.
If I participate in the next No Kings march, I’ll be wearing a hat, mask, and sunglasses, like last time. 🧢 😷 🕶️
If it’s good enough for ICE, it’s good enough for me.
I highly recommend the book and docuseries mentioned above. However, while one is fiction and the other a true historical account, both are dark narratives that explore how World War II and the hatred that inspired it test love, morality, and ultimate survival in the face of extreme circumstances.
Thanks for being here; see you next time.
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Take care… with you in spirit.
Like minds again. I have a personal rant almost ready to go.