Everyone has something that they are scared of. For me, it’s big dogs and driving. Those are my two last remaining fears that for many sound silly, but they aren’t silly to me. When I was eight years old, I was almost attacked by a loose German Shepherd and that incident created a deep and last fear of all dogs. In recent years I have worked diligently to get over that fear. I am at the point where small and mid-sized dogs don’t bother me, but when I see a big one, particularly a German Shepherd, I tense up.
It’s still a work in progress, but I no longer cross the street when I see one heading my way. As for driving, I avoid it, going so far as to not even own a car, but increasingly, I am realizing that I need to become comfortable with driving for myriad reasons and I am finally facing that fear.
We all have fears, and for many Americans the fear of being physically harmed by our government is a very real and valid fear given the actions of the administration. In the last week we have watched this administration intensify its ethnic cleansing of people they don’t deem worthy to be here. In major cities across this country, we have seen footage on social media of ICE kidnapping people and mistreating people. The administration is clearly targeting locales that many thought might be able to escape some of the regime’s draconian policies—instead we are witnessing an acceleration of brutality, no doubt an attempt to squash dissent by instilling fear.
We have witnessed this last week many courageous souls in the midst of these ICE raids moving beyond their fears. In some cases, they’ve chased ICE agents out of their communities, including in San Diego, where a gaggle of everyday people simply started chanting “shame” until the agents started to flee. That energy is starting to grow as people realize safety is an illusion and no one is coming to save us.
For months, many have taken to the streets believing that sanitized protests might save us, but the reality is that those actions are not saving us. The administration is choosing not to listen to the people. If anything, our attempts to avoid violence are still leading to violence. Despite the millions wanting to avoid inflaming tensions and provoking the administration to enact martial law, that is what is happening—at least in California.
In the last 24 hours, Trump has ordered the National Guard to California after tanks rolled through American cities and literally provoked and harmed Americans. This is unprecedented and Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, has stated that he is willing to send Marines as well.
Our government that we pay for is turning the military on our people and while it is happening in California this week, make no mistake: It is coming for all of us. In fact, I daresay that if you live in a blue state or an area deemed to be a sanctuary city, expect to see the escalation first-hand.
Silence and staying safe will not save us. We are literally watching these people snatch people from courtroom halls, parking lots, work sites—you name it. We have literal children—small children—being zip-tied and interrogated. We know these people have been instructed to ramp up their efforts, with reports of quotas circulating, and they are intent on keeping their bosses happy. We also know these people are indiscriminate in who they are taking. This isn’t about getting criminals off the streets; it’s about systematically removing groups of people based on race. Today it’s Latinos. Who will it be next? Who’s to say that Black Americans such as myself won’t be next on the list of undesirables to get rid of? Or even undesirable white folks who dare to speak up.
Friends, if we stay silent or only come out for permitted protests or engage in actions that feel safe, at this point we are complicit. With each passing day, our silence or inactivity only serves to further the goals of this administration. It has become clear that the only way through this is going to take more than hope and good vibes. The only way to get to the other side is going to require using our fear to fuel action and change. Otherwise, we can call it a wrap and accept that the fascists are going to win.
We have to face our fears and decide what we can do and what is an acceptable level of risk, understanding that fighting for freedom is inherently risky.
Each day we are losing more of our freedoms. ABC News just suspended correspondent Tom Moran for calling Stephen Miller a world-class hater on social media. His words drew the attention of Vice President JD Vance. It should be noted that ABC News is owned by the Walt Disney Company which agreed to pay a $16 million dollar lawsuit to settle a defamation lawsuit that Trump filed against the network over on-air comments made by anchor George Stephanonpolous. Our institutions are cowering in fear of these people, our elected officials are cowering in fear, and there is no cavalry because everyone is scared. We are literally the last line of defense before total capitulation.
They are tearing down the literal fabric of our society; they are creating a country that harms in every way. There is no safety in thinking you can get through this, especially as the government, thanks to Palantir, is creating databases that almost certainly will be used to profile us. There is no safety and there is no anonymity.
With each passing day, our ability to reverse course shortens. Every day we choose to stay safe gives them more power and lessens our chances of recovery. We can no longer be bystanders, simply sharing posts and recording intimidation and going back to our lives feeling content that we did something. No, we actually have to do a lot more. This is a group effort.
Not everyone can be on the ground and in the streets. In fact, there is a role for everyone to play. Right now, if you can’t be in the fray directly, you could fund community efforts and fund the folks reporting and analyzing the news. You can keep calling your elected officials—don’t stop. Can you help action organizers? Bring meals, offer to babysit. Do you have professional services to offer? Lawyers are needed to represent people apprehended and charged for protesting; medical professionals are needed to treat folks harmed in action. What can you consistently do? We need folks in this for the long haul, these are not normal times and while people do need to take care of themselves, fighting fascism isn’t something you do “as time allows,” especially with the acceleration we are seeing. Fighting fascism is a practice that needs to become routine and one that we all have to do.
We are all scared, but that fear is not going to serve us if we let it consume us. As I have written before, we can no longer assume that the midterm elections will save us. This administration is telling us that it doesn’t care about laws, rules, or norms. If the president can decide to federalize the National Guard and go over a governor’s head to carry out their agenda, why would they willingly give up power?
The country we once knew with checks and balances is currently on life support and the only course of action that might save it is the collective us. That means recognizing this is larger than our individual fears and knowing there is strength in numbers. Alone, we are scared. Together we have power.
If you have never read Let This Radicalize You by Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba, I would highly suggest getting your hands on a copy now and making it a priority read for how we move forward.
These are scary and uncertain times, and you are not alone in your fears. But they are counting on our fear to keep us compliant and complicit. They know the power of fear, and they want you scared enough that you keep wishing and not doing. I don’t know about you, but I am not interested in giving them what they want.
Thank you for reading my work. I hope that my words bring clarity and hope. If you are a regular reader of my work and not currently a financial supporter, I would like to ask that you consider becoming a supporter if you have the means. Readership is up, support is down and while I offer the majority of my work free of charge, it is the people who are able to support my work that make it possible for me to offer it to all, free of charge. Consider becoming a monthly patron if you can spare a few bucks each month or make a one time contribution.
