New Year, Who 'Dis?
Since President Trump's arrival in the White House, our nation has faced political turmoil every single day; from the pause of Constitutional Rights of due process for the search and seizure of alleged illegal immigrants to the emboldened acts of Republican majorities in various State Houses calling for the felony arrest or removal of elected officials that vote in dissent of President Trump's policies (https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2025-01-29/gop-led-immigration-bill-signals-trump-that-tennessee-wants-to-aid-his-deportation-crackdown).
American politics in 2025 are no longer about compromise for the good of all Americans, but have become about the dominance of one group's ideologies and privileges over all others. It's easy to fall into a slump of depression, feeling powerless and overwhelmed with the minute-by-minute breaking news, but we must acknowledge the feeling, then redirect that energy into positive change. "Yes, I feel betrayed by my country, overwhelmed by the news, and depressed by feeling rejected by my fellow countrymen, but what's one small thing I can do today to overcome this and empower my actions towards rebuilding the America I knew?"
Your Story Builds Bridges
I recently watched a documentary titled, "Mama's Boy" on MAX that follows the life of the Academy Award®-winning screenwriter of Milk, Dustin Lance Black, who grew up in the Church of Ladder Day Saints and became an LGBTQ+ activist. At one point in his activist career, the Church that he grew up in had become a formidable opponent of gay rights by funding anti-gay politicians and policies. Dustin made a point to go in person to meet the leaders of the Mormon church, learn about their positions on the issues, and share his own story of journey and self-discovery as a gay man. His willingness to build a bridge resulted in a rising of groups of Mormons supporting LGBTQ+ rights and closing the gap between the two communities.
The lesson I took from Dustin's story was that it's easy to fire off inflammatory rhetoric, and run-'n-hide from the aftermath of widening the gorge. The harder thing is to have the courage to face one another with respect and honesty, to share our stories, and to seek connection over division. Most people can only ever see the world with their own perception, but the task at hand is to help others see from the perspective of others through sharing our stories.
Why else would anyone want to ban books, ban social-emotional-learning, or remove celebrations of diversity from the public space? Your story holds meaning.
Heroes, Rise!
To revoke a tyrant and harmonize our society, we must set down the ideas of left or right and being right or wrong. We must unify, speaking only from the position of the importance of upholding human life and dignity through the protection of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Policies should reflect the importance of all life and protect those values with the full strength of the people. This terrible time is also a wonderful opportunity where the roots of hatred have been exposed and we can, as a people, once and for all rewrite America's destiny to be for all people, undivided.
Become the hero America needs by having the courage to share the impact of current events on you and ultimately your personal story. Vocalize it, write it, create art about it, sing it, perform it, whatever it takes – share it. I genuinely believe that we are all born good-hearted, but culture, experiences, biased influences, and trauma builds walls around our hearts and we become blind and deaf to the suffering of others for fear of letting anyone in or coming out about how we really feel.
Do not stay blind,
Do not keep deaf.
Free your voice, share your story.
Be the hero we all need right now.
Examples of Creators Freeing Their Voices
Below are a few examples I've come across of creators using their talents to share their stories and perspective shifts on issues that affect us in modern America.
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