It’s Friday morning and I didn’t sleep well at all. I’m guessing I’m not alone. Americans are tired, scared, and horrified. The world is watching, and they’re scared too.
I’m also pissed.
This is not a reality game show. This is real life, with real people, real deaths, and real consequences. A meme crossed my feed last night about the last time someone felt patriotic was over a photo of Simone Biles and her team winning gold at the Olympics, and it made me unexpectedly sad. I used to love being American when I was a little girl. I want that feeling back. I want my kids to feel it.
This week, the nation’s highest elected officials held a press conference just hours after we all watched horrifying footage of Renee Good being shot point blank, three times, in the face. Instead of calming a shaken country or showing even a shred of humanity, their response was immediate and predictable: lie, inflame, repeat.
Kristi Noem called Renee a “terrorist.” Trump claimed she “viciously ran over an ICE officer” and said it was “hard to believe he is alive.” JD Vance, perhaps the cruelest of all, labeled her a “deranged leftist.” These people are not fit to run a Shake Shack, let alone a country. They have granted effective immunity to armed groups dressed in freshly funded gear, paid for by us, to the tune of thirty billion dollars this year alone.
Trump has now very literally stated that he does not subscribe to international law. This week, he withdrew the United States from sixty-six international organizations we once led. When asked whether there are limits to his power on the world stage, his answer was chillingly simple: “my own morality, my own mind.” I will not even get into his plans for “liberating” Venezuela. The point is clear. This is how he sees his power. And it is one of the most disturbing things I have witnessed in my lifetime.
Buried beneath the chaos is another story that should stop us cold from my old friend Margaret Brennen. This fall, CBS News and other outlets will no longer report from inside the Pentagon for the first time in decades. They refused to agree to a twenty-one-page list of new restrictions from Pete Hegseth that would prevent journalists from seeking information not pre-approved by the government. Call it what it is. This is fascism.
We are not on the brink of a fascist America. We are living in one. And if that feels extreme to you, I gently suggest the blinders might still be on.
This week feels like a turning point. I know, I’ve said that before. January 6th felt like a turning point too. The deaths keep accumulating. The world keeps spinning. And the question becomes harder to ignore: when is it enough? Or are we truly just frogs in boiling water?
And where are our leaders? Not just the politicians. Where are the CEOs? The billionaires? The Ivy League presidents? The Silicon Valley golden boys? Where is everyone?
Every single person with power in this country should be using it right now. Loudly.
We know the answer, of course. Money, influence, proximity to power. It’s seductive. But isn't the cringe of your apathy worse than the seduction of power? The silence is, for me, one of the most depressing parts of all of this.
If you feel exhausted or numb, that is not a personal failure. It is a human response. The level of violence we are witnessing is not normal. Our brains were not built for this. The chaos is intentional. Flood the zone, overwhelm the senses, paralyze the response. And meanwhile, the Epstein victims still wait for accountability.
So what do we do?
First, know this: you are not alone. Numbness is a survival mechanism. It helps you keep going, because you must. You have people to take care of and love, bedtime stories to read and zoom calls to make it to. But don't stay numb all the time please. I am holding onto hope that we make it to the midterms and that enough people show up to vote to begin ending this insanity. That matters. Do what you can in your own communities. Have the uncomfortable conversations. Convince capable people who never wanted public office that now is exactly the time. We need more Mayor Freys.
We need people who are not in it for themselves.
Also, take care of your nervous system. Step away from your phone. Walk outside. Do something physical. Build community in real life and rest when you need to. Don't let your whimsy be taken from you. And if wearing a statement sweater is your thing, we've got you covered. Clothes can spark conversations. They always have for me.
I’ve been thinking about a story Sarah Sophie shared about the Danes protecting their Jewish neighbors during World War II. Ordinary people. Everyday courage. I still believe there are more good people than bad out there and I’m ready to throw parades for them, to give them all the awards.
Some quick examples: Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit C, Exhibit D, Exhibit E, Exhibit F.
Case in point. Know your rights.
And a bright spot from this week to end on. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced expanded childcare for all in NYC, including new programs for two-year-olds. This initiative, led by my friend Reshma Saujani of Moms First US, is a real beam of light in an otherwise dark stretch.
Let’s spread stories like this the way they deserve to be spread. These are the people who make me feel patriotic!!! And honestly, you do too.
Thank you for grounding me. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for community.
xo
Rachelle
