I don’t normally talk politics. In fact, I’ve often avoided it because I don’t think our current society is set up for healthy political discourse anymore. Meaningful debate is only possible when both sides are living in the same reality, and unfortunately, that just isn’t possible within the current “MAGA” echo chamber. But there comes a point where silence isn’t just neutrality…it’s an abdication of duty. I love this country; probably more than I should. To me, representative democracy isn’t just a concept we talk about in history books; it is the greatest form of government ever devised. “We the People” isn’t a catchphrase; it is our national thesis. It’s a promise that the law belongs to us, and the government is merely its temporary steward.
I am a rule follower. I believe in the structure of law because it is the only thing that keeps us from the chaos of whim and ego. But the “rules” of our nation, the Constitution, are currently being rewritten by executive decree. In just one year, we have seen an executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship in a direct attempt to bypass over a century of Supreme Court precedent. We have seen the administration seize the “Power of the Purse” to impose indefinite, massive tariffs through “emergency” powers, a role the Constitution explicitly grants to Congress. We have even seen the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to bypass the 5th Amendment, with the government arguing it can detain and deport people without a judge ever seeing a shred of evidence.
This disregard for rules isn’t stopping at our borders. This month alone, we witnessed “Operation Absolute Resolve”, a unilateral military strike in Venezuela. Regardless of the target, the President launched an act of war without seeking authorization from Congress. Even more erratic was the “Greenland Crisis”, where we nearly saw the collapse of NATO because the administration threatened military force against our ally, Denmark, over a refusal to sell territory. We were told this was for “national security,” but it brought us closer to a global conflict with our own allies than at any time since World War II.
I want to be clear: I have great respect for law enforcement. I respect the honest police officers who fight every day to make policing work for everyone and who respect the rights and dignity of every individual they encounter. Those officers are the backbone of a safe society. But what we are seeing from federal agents in Minneapolis right now is not “policing.” On January 7, Renée Good was shot and killed in her car. The government called her a “terrorist,” but the video shows her steering away from agents before they fired.
This past weekend, it happened again with Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse. Pretti was a licensed gun owner and permit holder, following the laws of his state. The administration told us he was an “armed assassin,” but the video tells a chilling truth: Pretti was holding a cell phone, was pinned to the ground by multiple agents, and was disarmed by one officer who walked away with his weapon before another officer opened fire. He was shot ten times while empty-handed.
The situation has become so indefensible that even the NRA has issued a statement calling out the government’s actions. When an organization that traditionally champions “law and order” is forced to publicly condemn federal agents for the execution of a law-abiding gun owner who never even drew his weapon, it serves as a stark indicator of how far the executive branch has strayed from the rule of law.
This is the January 6th playbook: they are telling us to disregard our own eyes. Despite the horror shown to us live on television and the internet, millions were told to disregard what they saw. We are being asked to trade our reality for their rhetoric. When federal agents can act as judge, jury, and executioner on a sidewalk, and then have the administration lie about it in the face of video evidence, the “Rule of Law” is dead.
It is easy for people to say, “If you don’t like it, you hate America,” or call you a “socialist.” That is a lie. True patriotism doesn’t lie in wearing a flag on your shirt (which is technically a violation of the flag code) or attacking everyone who isn’t in your political circle. That is the opposite of American. Individual liberties are enshrined in law to protect us from the “tyranny of the majority.” If we lose the checks and balances that hold the executive accountable, we lose the country itself.
I am as guilty as anyone of keeping quiet to keep the peace. But I don’t want to do that anymore. Silence in the face of these violations isn’t a privilege; it’s a choice with consequences. We must be willing to speak out and stand up. As Thurgood Marshall said, “Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out, because this is your country. This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on.”
No one can accurately accuse me of being a radical, a socialist, or a leftist, or whatever term MAGA is labeling people with today. I am an American. Patriotism isn’t about loyalty to a leader; it’s about loyalty to the principles that make us a nation. I’m choosing to fight for those principles and the Constitution, and that starts with speaking up.