Trump claims to be conservative but he is anything but. In the past quarter century he has been a registered Democrat, a registered Independent, a registered Reformer, and a registered Republican. He is a known authoritarian and totalitarian and has been proving himself to be a fascist. Those multi-syllabic words are a loose explanation of American politics today but we do not talk about them in depth much these days because of MAGA and the chaos that they have intentionally created. This is far from unintentional if you perform a deep dive into the past +/- two decades. The people that are “running our country” (into the ground?) are extremely purposeful in their actions which should allow most to come to conclusions that are difficult to swallow.

In the same breath we should also be looking at Pete Hegseth who belongs to a CREC and adheres to much of the proselytizing of Doug Wilson who is an ultimate personification of a misogynistic racist, as well as Stephen Miller who should require no introduction because what he says and does is beyond words and his hire in both Trump v.1 and Trump v.2 were purposeful and intentional. These are all small men with small minds who are trying to make nearly everyone in America smaller, meaner, poorer, sicker before even adding in the anti-vax’ness of RFK Jr. whose drug and dining habits alone should … yeah, never mind.

They claim that they want to “Make America Great Again” but their goal is more like “Making (White Men in) America ‘Great’ Again” because America is worse in every way except the tiny men with tiny minds and large egos could only do their best to make their whiteness feel superior again. This should make more than 3/4 of the country cringe and revolt en masse because this is the politics of authoritarianism with a large dose of serial liars, thieves, cheats and more.

That description is more than my merely calling them out via words as it is a verifiable representation of our current national reality. Some will say that I am failing to convince anyone who does not already agree but I get to disagree because if we want to defeat the MAGA movement we must do more than simply defeat the GOP in 60 days. We must entirely discredit MAGA by going after every weak spot that we can see and find. We have to go full nuclear in a united manner to reclaim our democratic republic. The left do not favor socialism as MAGA has claimed they only want to include the entirety of the +/- 340,000,000 people living in the country that MAGA wants off the all-inclusive buffet of sustainable living. The majority of us are not undereducated or overpaid contrary to their ranting. Socialism built roads and dams and schools so everyone, in theory, could live in the first-world society we proclaim to be. Without socialism our country would have died during the Great Depression instead of leading the world out of it.

One of the goals of MAGA is to eliminate the government-funded programs that ensure that the sickest of the sick and the poorest of the poor can survive at a minimum, succeed at a maximum. MAGA complains about DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) which in many ways is the modern term for Affirmative Action that was intended to level the imbalanced playing field that White males rarely liked or wanted because someone somewhere made them believe that they were superior but their real complaint that DEI/AA has them competing for … status … with people they want to believe are inferior to them. Yes, women, people of color, other marginalized communities, etc. who are some of the best and brightest and caring and compassionate that our country has ever produced.

Their case of wanting an opaque window through which we see everyone sounds valid but it is just the opposite. They are simply too lazy to work hard to stay on their pedestals, too cowardly to speak truthfully about our melting pot society, and/or merely too average to distinguish themselves amongst a level field. Opaque window my ass. They whine and snivel about “socialism” but their demand of placing only White males on the top of the pile in humankind in America is absolutely socialist in that it is the organization of power, status and money that aims for the exclusive use of privilege and benefit to White men in our society. Equality in justice and decency are socialized as that but they prefer to see the world in the color of being able to murder and rape and loot and without accepting any blame. WTAF? Have they even perused the Constitution because they sure as heck have not read it even with the help of The Heritage Foundation and the John Birch Society who are dictating to them to bring White men back to the pinnacle of status. The GOP wants themselves to be viewed as The One and Only Cool Kids Club which is horse-pucky because freedom from consequences is framed nowhere by our Founding Fathers and this is precisely why those who believe in hard work, lifelong learning, determination, and the true spirit of equality should never be viewed as a threat, they should be seen as the benchmark. Add in integrity, honor, rightfulness, etc. and your race, your ethnicity, your innate sexual orientation, your identity, etc. should never be taken to disqualify you from being able to succeed. Or fail.

The national elections in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024 had people voting with an ideology of White male “masculinity” in the context of MAGA because they fought against Obama’s Blackness, Clinton’s femaleness, then into Harris’s being a ... GASP! … biracial … GASP! … multi-cultural … GASP! … woman!!! Oh the shame of even having to compete with smart, intelligent, well-read, well-regarded people who just so happened to not look like them! I find it ironic that their top threat is those who are White males because they are even eating their own to be perceived as the top group instead of those who act with integrity and are determined to work hard. These same White men put ALL of their hopes and dreams on the line for Whiteness. Their level of care and concern for White lawlessness is close to nil and they ignore the (false) promises of lowering prices of food and petroleum and not creating new wars that have turned into high inflation, higher prices across the board, and illegal military actions from boat strikes to kidnapping a foreign leader and stealing that country’s oil (why does Qatar have the oil money that they stole from Venezuela again?) to grifts and scams ($TRUMP, $MELANIA, World Liberty Financial, etc.) to military actions against Iran who had not attacked us to their reverence for Putin, Xi, Kim, Orban, etc.

America is not greater because of MAGA unless you refuse to see them for who and what they are. Our midterm elections are in sixty days and you get to decide whether racism, misogyny, criminality, etc. are what you want or if you want to be able to look at the Statue of Liberty and actually read her plaque:

We are technically called the United States of America when we have become the Divided States of America and we are at a turning point leading up to and after November 3rd. I do not hate MAGA but I know that they do not represent the principles that I raised my right hand for years ago. I raised my hand for everyone reading this to include those who cannot find it in themselves to unite against fascism, against authoritarianism, against blatant racism and misogyny and corruption. If you sit the election out you are harming yourself, your families, your friends, your neighbors, so it truly is a choice. I am not trying to lead the way but I am one of the “nobody” movement who is choosing to alter the course back to where we should be if you read that plaque and look at your ancestry that came to America because they saw how great we really could and should be. Let’s roll together.

The list of people who have the ability to speak to him is extremely short outside of his attorneys. No journalists or creators have reached out to me/us for content or context. None. We have facts, not speculation or conjecture, and we are not reliant on guesswork. Some of us know Jason in real life, as in we have met and spoken to him face-to-face. The legal defense fund that was created for him after he was arrested on 7/1 (**the ONLY legitimate crowdfunding campaign**), a fund created and used solely for his legal defense needs, is being put to good use. (He has a civilian defense team that is working in conjunction with his military JAG team.) We collectively intend to keep his objectives alive and the non-attorney people that he trusts with his story and to speak on his behalf can be counted on one hand.

If you want facts we have them. Others who claim to have them are typically not helping his case and in many instances they may be hurting him and his cases which is problematic. None of us on the support teams are getting paid beyond personal pride because we believe in him and his stated objectives of getting Congress to honor their oaths and impeach, convict, and remove the corrupt regime. Yes, we are all volunteers accounting for hundreds of hours every week because this matters to us.

Major Watson is facing ten (10) charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ):

• Article 88 x2: Contempt towards officials, a charge specifically for military officers.

• Article 92 x5: Failure to obey a lawful order.

• Article 133 x3: Conduct unbecoming an officer.

More than a few of the outside voices that are reporting information have made inaccurate statements on multiple fronts, to include what he has been charged with even though the full charge sheet is public, and those stories are damaging to Major Watson, his words, his stated objectives and to those of us carrying the torch on behalf of . Portraying yourself as an insider when you are not is disingenuous at best and libelous at worst. If you are trying to help Major Watson and there are ways to do so and we welcome that type of help. The stronger the united voice is and becomes the more likely it is that we can make a difference in the ways that Major Watson had hoped for. Those profiting off his story via social media or the sale of unauthorized merchandise or illegal crowdfunding campaigns are opportunists not allies. Both he and we need allies.

On behalf of Major Watson and we thank those working on behalf of the overall and greater good because we are definitely #StrongerTogether and it is the only way that we can take back our democratic republic from the fascists.

To anyone not already decided this chaos gives the persuadable voter, the tired voter, the person paying half attention, easy permission to shrug and to say that both sides are broken. And to stay home. That is a forfeit not a neutral choice. The old adage of “divided we fall” has never been truer so you have to decide how much value you have in our democratic republic system that was enshrined in the US Constitution. We have been under attack for decades but most of us never saw it. Do you see it now?

• Gerrymandering.

• The SAVE Act.

• Trying to federalize our voting systems in violation of the Constitution.

• Threatening to put the military and federal agents at polling places in violation of federal law.

• Gutting FEMA with relief funds only going to red states.

Do you need more examples?

When low inclination voters stay home the other side wins by default. No drama is needed and no landslide is required. It is simply one side failing to show up in the manner of a forfeit. The other side knows this and it is exactly why they want us policing each other instead of turning voters out.

In Hungary, Orban was finally defeated not because the opposition agreed on every policy, they won by stopping eight separate campaigns and unifying behind one vehicle. One message. One coalition. One coordinated turnout operation. That is the model.

Poland tells the same story. When the opposition quarreled publicly their hard-right faction locked in power and started dismantling the courts. When civic pressure finally forced a unified front against the narrow-minded project their democratic majority took the country back.

If you or others opt out you do NOT send a message you simply hand them the match. If they continue to hold the majorities they will continue to rewrite the rules so that the next election is not a fair one. The clean rematch you think is waiting on the other side of this does not come. The MAGA version of the GOP will not hand back power. Ever.

Unity is not a vibe it is a governing technology of one target, one message, one turnout machine. A single coalition that does not fracture in public. That combination is what wins. It is the method every successful pro-democracy resistance has actually used.

Stop waiting for the optimum time. The optimum time is now. Right now. Today.

We win in November or fascism completes its mission, these are the options.

History will say one of two things, “We failed.” or “We persevered.” There is no other choice, speak up now and give people a reason to show up.

I do not agree with every candidate on the general election ballot but we need to win first then debate policies after. If MAGA wins they will not even attempt to govern they will lock the system which should make everyone’s decisions easier. Every country that lost that bet said the same thing beforehand: We thought we had more time. We do not have more time. 68 days is it. The person who must step up is the person you see in the mirror.

This is how WE win.

1. I believe that we as a society should take care of our weakest members. A country should not call itself civilized when its children, elderly, sick and/or disabled, sick are neglected.

2. I believe that healthcare is a basic human right and not a privilege. I have never believed that the Affordable Care Act was the end of the line, it was just the beginning. I was fully aware that the ACA had holes and that a national healthcare system would require everyone to contribute. It was impossible to create a system that was perfect without first steps but I have yet to hear an argument against it that makes “let people die because they can’t afford healthcare” a better alternative. I know many people have died because they could not afford to see a doctor or go to a hospital so I believe that healthcare should be much less expensive than it is and that everyone should have access to it. If you told me that I would have to pay $100/month to ensure that my family, my friends, my neighbors and even (im)perfect strangers could get and remain healthy I would do it without hesitation.

3. I believe that education should be affordable. It does not necessarily have to be free, although it works in other countries so I’m mystified as to why it can’t work in the US, but at the end of the day there is no excuse for students graduating from college burdened with a mountain of debt tied to the actual costs of higher education.

4. I have never believed that our money should be taken from us and given to people who choose to not work. I have never encountered anyone who believes that is how our societal system should work. I just have a moral problem with a society where a handful of people can possess the majority of the wealth while there are people starving/ freezing/ dying because they cannot afford to maintain their health. Fair wages, lower housing costs, universal healthcare, affordable education, and the wealthy actually paying their fair share would go a long way toward alleviating this. That does not make me a communist or a socialist it makes me a humanist.

5. I do not say that I am willing to pay higher taxes just to say it. If I am suggesting something that involves paying more it is simply because I am fine with paying more as long as it is actually going to something besides lining corporate pockets, paying for a private militia to serve the few, or attacking other countries unprovoked while Americans die without healthcare. That is not too much to ask is it?

6. I believe that corporations should be required to pay their employees a livable wage. I do not mean that an 18-year-old working an entry-level job should be able to afford a mansion but they should be able to sustain themselves. What this means is that no one should have to work 2-3 jobs including side hustles just to keep their heads above water. Restaurant servers should not have to rely on gratuities. Multibillion-dollar corporations like Walmart and Amazon should not have employees on food stamps. Workers should not have to work themselves into the ground just to barely make ends meet WITHOUT healthcare and the US “minimum wage” should be enough for someone to work 35-40 hours per week and have time to breathe.

7. I am not anti-religion and recognize what OUR First Amendment says and was intended to say and mean. I have no desire to stop Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Agnostics, or Atheists from subscribing to their beliefs because that is the communist way. I do not want to close houses of worship, to ban religious texts, to forbid prayer in school, etc. And btw, prayer in school is NOT illegal but MANDATORY prayer in school is and should remain that way. I want no one to tell me what I and/or my children should believe or not believe and do not believe that I should have that right to tell others to do that. All I ask is that Christian Nationalists recognize my right to live according to my beliefs. When I get pissed off that a politician is trying to legislate their theology into law, I am not offended by their theology I am offended that they are trying to force me to live by their religious rules. You know how many people get upset at the thought of Muslims imposing Sharia law on you? That is how I feel about Christian Nationalists trying to impose their form of biblical law on me.

8. I do not believe that members of the LGBTQ community should have more rights than hetero people but I do believe that they should have the same rights. Being LGBTQ is not a choice, contrary to the position of some, it is a natural occurrence no different than my being attracted to who I am attracted to as a hetero person. Those who see being LGBTQ as a voluntary choice need to study biology more.

9. I do not believe that undocumented immigrants should come to America and have the world at their feet and this is not what they do because undocumented immigrants are NOT eligible for all of the programs that they are allegedly abusing. Also, if undocumented immigrants are “stealing” your job it is because your employer is violating labor and hiring laws. There are far more humane ways to handle undocumented immigration than our current practices of murder and mayhem; tearing up families, detaining children, sending people to countries that they have never even heard of, sending people to violent third-world prisons, etc.

10. I do not believe the government should regulate everything but since both corporate and personal wealth and greed have become such driving forces in our country we need regulations to prevent corners being cut, to prevent the destruction of environmental necessities, to prevent tainted food and water supplies, to prevent unsafe materials in our consumer goods, etc. It is not that I want the government’s hands in everything because I do not, it is that I do not trust people who are greedy profiteers to ensure that their products and practices are truly safe since they have repeatedly proven that they are capable of showing that they are morally and ethically bankrupt. The government is generally not barren of morals and ethics but with regulations in place, many of which were instituted because of repeated moral and ethical lapses, consumers have avenues of recourse if they are harmed. To me it is pure common sense logic that when the alternative to government regulation is letting companies bring their bottom line into the equation that we should protect all consumers not companies and/or the wealthy.

11. I believe that our current administration is fascist and not because I cannot get over an election. I have been learning and reading about Nazi Germany’s Third Reich since elementary school and there are more than just casual similarities. Our democratic republic was designed to be an antithesis of an authoritarian regime or dictatorship but things are actually mirroring many authoritarian and fascist regimes if you simply read the history books that they have been trying to censor and/or eliminate and/or rewrite.

12. I believe that the systemic racism, misogyny, and cleansing in our society is significantly worse than most people think and we as a nation need to address this yesterday. This means that those with cultural privilege need to start watching and listening especially you do not like what you are seeing and hearing. We need to dismantle anything and everything that is causing people to be marginalized and declared to be “less than” by the power brokers and our elected officials. The US Constitution is clear in that we are all created equal.

13. I am not interested in coming after your blessed guns, nor is anyone serving in government. What I am interested in is the enforcement of present laws and enacting new, common sense gun regulations. Got another opinion? Put it on your page, not mine.

14. I believe in being politically correct although I believe that it should be called “societal politeness”. I am not, to borrow a negative term, a “snowflake” but we know better and should absolutely do better because we are all members of the same species and my gender, my ethnicity, my innate sexual orientation, etc. make me who I am and make others who they are and we all deserves respect and kindness. Intentionally hurting someone just to make yourself feel “better than” actually makes you appear inferior not superior.

15. I believe in sustainable energy like solar and wind powers and I believe that we can offset job losses in the fossil fuel industries that hurt our environment and damage our health by skilling people in the alternatives. I spent five (5) years working on a Federal retraining program that was tied to industry losses, etc. and it works because it has been around for decades in various iterations. Sustainable options have worked for multiple decades and the only reason we have not embraced it is because the fossil fuel industries lobby against it. The billionaires can invest in these industries instead of the ones that are rapidly destroying us. This idea does not make me liberal it makes me human.

16. I believe that women and non-Caucasian people should be treated the same as Caucasian men in that they should be paid the same for doing the same work, should have the equal rights, and should be free from mistreatment. Whoever decided that Caucasian males should be treated with deference and be paid more was a pile elephant dung.

There are many other things that I could identify and write about but I believe that my message of beliefs is clear. As a hetero Caucasian male who also identifies as a Christian, in the style of Jesus not Nationalists, I am no better or worse than anyone else who believes in treating people equally while recognizing that we are also individuals with varying beliefs that we can and should respect. It means that I do not believe that there is any scenario in which preventablesuffering is an acceptable outcome. When you die it becomes about how you lived. Take a long look in the mirror, what do you see?

noun

1. Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.

   “a leader of great integrity.”

2. The state of being unimpaired; soundness.

   “The building’s integrity remained intact following the mild earthquake.”

3. The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.

   “replaced a lost book to restore the integrity of his collection.”

Helllooooo Congress? We’re watching even when we’re not, even when you’re trying to duck and cover, even when you deflect. Even when you bow, bend, kneel or succumb. History has its eyes on you.

Under FBI policy and federal law, no investigative activity may be based solely on First Amendment activity. The FBI does not investigate, collect, or maintain information on US persons solely for the purpose of monitoring activities protected by the First Amendment. All personnel should exercise sound judgment and discretion in evaluating the totality of circumstances surrounding any of these indicators in order to determine whether a law enforcement or intelligence response or activity is warranted.

Definitions

Domestic Terrorism for the FBI’s purposes is referenced in U.S. Code at 18 U.S.C. 2331(5), and is defined as activities:

• Involving acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State;

• Appearing to be intended to:

o Intimidate or coerce a civilian population;

o Influence the policy of government by intimidation or coercion; or

o Affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping;

and

• Occurring primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.

This is a definitional statute, not a charging statute. We talk about the threat these actors pose as Domestic Terrorism threats, but each of the FBI’s threat categories, described in further detail below, uses the words “violent extremism” because the underlying ideology itself and the advocacy of such beliefs is not prohibited by US law.

Terminology

The US Government, including the FBI and DHS, continually reviews and evaluates intelligence to ensure it is appropriately identifying and categorizing a variety of national security threats to the Homeland. As part of this continual internal review, the FBI and DHS reconfigure broad threat categories as the threats evolve. While categories help the FBI better understand the criminal actors we pursue, we recognize actors’ motivations vary, are nuanced, and sometimes are derived from a blend of ideologies. The categories also inform the intelligence and prevention efforts of DHS. Currently, the US Government broadly divides the DT threat among the following threat categories:

Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremism: This threat encompasses the potentially unlawful use or threat of force or violence in furtherance of ideological agendas derived from bias, often related to race or ethnicity, held by the actor against others or a given population group. Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists purport to use both political and religious justifications to support their racially- or ethnically-based ideological objectives and criminal activities.

Anti-Government or Anti-Authority Violent Extremism: This threat encompasses the potentially unlawful use or threat of force or violence in furtherance of ideological agendas, derived from anti-government or anti-authority sentiment, including opposition to perceived economic, social, or racial hierarchies, or perceived government overreach, negligence, or illegitimacy.

Animal Rights/Environmental Violent Extremism: This threat encompasses the potentially unlawful use or threat of force or violence in furtherance of ideological agendas by those seeking to end or mitigate perceived cruelty, harm, or exploitation of animals and/or the perceived exploitation or destruction of natural resources and the environment.

Abortion-Related Violent Extremism: This threat encompasses the potentially unlawful use or threat of force or violence in furtherance of ideological agendas relating to abortion, including individuals who advocate for violence in support of either pro-life or pro-choice beliefs.

All Other Domestic Terrorism Threats: This category encompasses threats involving the potentially unlawful use or threat of force or violence in furtherance of ideological agendas which are not otherwise defined under or primarily motivated by one of the other Domestic Terrorism threat categories. Such agendas could flow from, but are not limited to, a combination of personal grievances and beliefs, including those described in the other Domestic Terrorism threat categories. Some actors in this category may also carry bias related to religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

Methodology

The FBI recognizes a Domestic Terrorism Incident as an ideologically-driven criminal act, including threats or acts of violence made to specific victims, made in furtherance of a domestic ideological goal, that has occurred and can be confirmed. A single incident may be comprised of a scheme or a serial criminal or violent activity conducted by the same perpetrator(s) using the same tactic(s).

The FBI recognizes a Domestic Terrorism Plot as a combination of criminal activity and planning that collectively reflect steps toward criminal action in furtherance of a domestic ideological goal. Disrupted Domestic Terrorism Plots are plots which, in the FBI’s assessment, absent law enforcement intervention could have resulted in a Domestic Terrorism incident.

The FBI makes every effort to proactively document lethal and non-lethal Domestic Terrorism incidents, but it is important to note there is no mandatory incident reporting requirement that mandates state and local law enforcement agencies to report criminal activity that appears to be ideologically-motivated consistent with the DT threat categories previously defined. This makes it impossible for the FBI to ensure we have complete and comprehensive knowledge of any and all incidents of this nature that may take place across the United States. For example, if the FBI does not receive notification from state and local officials of an ideologically-motivated criminal act, especially one that did not result in injury or loss of life, the FBI may not know to include that incident in our records.

In summary, who does this look like to you?

MAGA / The Heritage Foundation / The John Birch Society

The Oath Keepers

The Proud Boys

The Three Percenters

Patriot Front

And this list can go on and on with organizations that are and have been trying to take over our country and reshape it in the way they want us to exist not in the ways that the framers and Founding Fathers wrote and defined our Constitution.

If you want to Defend Our Republic you will

fight them with every fiber of your being.

Impeach. Convict. Remove.

It sounds simple, and with past administrations it was clear, but with the current regime, and it is a regime, the actions have become so overwhelming and Congress has not been honoring their oaths to the US Constitution. The standard verbiage tied to what are impeachable offenses has not changed but the interpretations have.

A president can be impeached for treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors as specified in Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution. These offenses typically involve serious misconduct or abuse of power while in office.

I do not believe that anyone needs the laundry list here because that list is very long and very public but some of the highlights include:

• Stealing oil from a country whose leader you kidnapped.

• Illegal military actions like ordering and carrying out unprovoked strikes on civilian boats in international waters and starting/maintaining a war with Iran.

• Profiting off the presidency via grifting, crypto scams, selling pardons, etc.

• What about blatant violations of the US Constitution?

The final section of Article II, which generally describes the executive branch, specifies that the “President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States” shall be removed from office if convicted in an impeachment trial of “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

Two clauses in Article I lay out the roles of the House and the Senate in impeachments and in trials of impeachment. In practice, impeachments by the House have been rare, and convictions after a trial by the Senate even less common. This history makes it appear that Congress has been unwilling to use this power and there is some validity to the argument but ultimately we have never had an administration who was this intent on destroying our democratic republic. Three Presidents, one Senator, one cabinet officer, and fifteen judges have been impeached, and of those only eight judges have been convicted and removed from office. This very limited history has given Congress very few opportunities to heavily define the constitutional text down to the ground layer but since the inauguration the regime has provided them many opportunities to do so but have instead chosen to focus some things that appear to be less important which is an extremely valuable argument.

Major Watson did not just call for the impeachment of the current regime but implored the Senate to convict them AND to remove them from office. It is obviously no easy feat but in light of everything that we know about, not even accounting for the unknowns, we have 435 members of the House and 100 members of the Senate and so far only two members have been willing to broach the topic in the past 18 months since the inauguration.

The Impeachment Clause was included in the Constitution to create another check against abuses by any/all government officials and to give Congress the ability to remove an unfit officer from power, any who might otherwise be doing damage to “the public good”. Not surprisingly, most “civil officers of the United States” who have found themselves damaged by a scandal have chosen to resign rather than endure an impeachment trial. The current administration has been a huge exception yet actions by Congress have been close to zero.

The House and Senate have generally refused to act on impeachment charges against individuals who were not then holding a federal office to include the pitch by (the MIA and presumed deceased) Sen. Mitch McConnell during the Senate trial against then-former President Trump. The Senate early on decided that members of Congress should be expelled by their individual chambers rather than be subjected to an impeachment trial. Presidents have typically acted quickly to remove problematic members of the executive branch but the current POTUS insisted that he would “only be installing loyalists” and the very small few who have shown that they would not obey his every call have generally been eviscerated by him. Most have followed their marching orders to do his bidding but it is interesting that the same Heritage Foundation that has been setting the tone for the GOP for more than two decades has an article from a Constitutional scholar on their own website that spells out exactly why the current regime should be impeached. ( THF - Impeachment article )

As a practical matter, judges and presidents have been the primary targets of impeachment inquiries meaning that most of the controversy surrounding the Impeachment Clause has revolved around the interpretation of “high Crimes and Misdemeanors,” a phrase that is definitely unique to impeachment context. The clause appears to rule out the possibility of Congress impeaching and removing officials simply for incompetence and/or general unfitness for office. Impeachments are not a remedy for government officials who are simply bad at their jobs, they are a remedy for abuses of public office but the line between general unfitness and abuse of office can be blurry.

The first Senate conviction in an impeachment trial was of a federal judge named John Pickering who was charged with issuing rulings that were “contrary to his trust and duty as a judge” and “in violation of the laws of the United States,” as well as appearing on the bench “in a state of total intoxication” in a manner “disgraceful to his own character as a judge and degrading to the honor of the United States.” The Pickering’s son filed a petition with the Senate explaining that his father “has been, and now is, insane.” The judge no longer had the mental capacity to commit high crimes. While the Senate chose to not dive into that question they were uncomfortable voting on a resolution stating that the judge was “guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors” so they simply concluded that he was “guilty as charged” and voted to remove him from office. Although not anxious to say that Pickering had committed a crime they were also not willing to keep him on the bench.

While the Pickering case was peculiar in both context and perspective it ultimately raised issues that remain unresolved to this day about the scope of impeachment powers. While still serving as a member of the House of Representatives, Gerald Ford asserted that impeachable offenses are whatever a majority of the House considered them to be. The burden is on those who want to bring impeachment charges to persuade a majority of the members of the House (218) and two-thirds of the members of the Senate (67) that an act is so serious as to justify removing an individual from office. The impeachment power is a tool that most members of Congress are unwilling to use if it can be avoided but they have also wanted to preserve it as a tool that is flexible enough to be used in any exceptional circumstances that might arise. So that begs the question: Have Trump, Vance, Hegseth, and others committed acts that rise to the level of impeachment?

The majority of Americans say that they have but then again, I am just a nobody.

Manifest destiny, a term that was coined by a newspaper editor named John O’Sullivan in 1845, is defined as “the pervasive belief in ‘American’ (read: White [Judeo-Christian]) racial and cultural superiority”. Indigenous peoples (fka: Native Americans) had long been perceived as inferior, and efforts to “civilize” them had been widespread since the days of John Smith and Miles Standish. Hispanic people who ruled Texas and the wanted/needed/desired ports in California were also seen as “backward”, i.e., not aligned with the “superior” people who did not see themselves as anything less than the best among humanity. Expansion westward seemed perfectly natural to many of the new White Americans because they believed that they, “Americans”, had a “divine obligation to stretch the boundaries of their noble republic” to the Pacific Ocean. (The US has never been an actual democracy, we are a democratic republic which is different both on its face as well as deep down in the weeds.) In 2025-26 we are seeing something very similar, something that was in the works for more than five (5) decades, we were just too busy with other things that we deemed important to pay attention to what was going on.

Starting more than two-hundred-fifty (250) years ago independence from Mother England had been won in the Revolutionary War then reaffirmed in the War of 1812. The spirit of ‘nationalism’ that swept across the land over the next three decades after demanded more territory. The “every man is equal” mentality of the Jacksonian Era fueled this optimism. With territory across to the Mississippi River claimed and the Louisiana Purchase explored Americans headed west in droves and the lying, thieving and criminality continued. Believing that through actions and words they could create the future that they believed was theirs they felt that they were manifesting their destiny.

A new religious fervor spawned by the Second Great Awakening created another incentive for the drive west. Many settlers believed that God had blessed the growth of the American nation and this concept was written about quite extensively both during and since. The Native Americans were considered heathens because they did not subscribe to any of the Judeo-Christian philosophies. The historical stories about churches creating boarding schools for indigenous children to force learning and ‘acceptance’ of Christian theology are very real because by ‘Christianizing tribes’ the new American missionaries, as in those on a mission to proselytize to and convert everyone they came across, believed that they could save souls and they became among the first to cross the Mississippi River.

Economic motives were paramount and moving west seemed logical for this purpose as well. The desire for more land brought aspiring homesteaders, both farmers and cattle ranchers, to the new frontiers. When gold was discovered in California in 1848 the number of migrants increased even more rapidly and they were seizing more occupied territories, committing more crimes, telling more lies, and harming more people. This brings me back to where we are today …

We no longer have fair and free elections. Why? Power brokers. PACs/SuperPACs. Controlled platforms. Controlled messaging. Controlled candidates. In most every state the power candidates get the nod not the grassroots candidates who go door-to-door and they rarely gain any traction even if they try harder than hard. So today those power brokers are in control and they tend to push their agenda(s) by whatever means necessary. They lie. They cheat. They steal. They created two classes of people known as ‘us’ and ‘them’. Right now our national focus is mostly tied to the MAGA movement which was preceded by the Tea Party. Both were created by the power brokers with ties to The Heritage Foundation and they all want a Christian Nationalist society which is quite different than Christianity. Simply look at what they are doing and how that is tied to the principle of Manifest Destiny. The only way we return to a democratic republic is to take it back by force. Our voices matter now more than ever.

Any questions?

I used to identify as a Republican but I had never been a strict adherent to party platform or policies. I was raised in a Christian household where politics were almost never a topic of discussion but we knew that our parents were “conservative” in numerous ways although not on the hard right of any great divide because Christianity is about humanity, compassion, empathy, and taking care of family, friends, and strangers alike. No one in need of our time or assistance was unworthy.

We were a house of servants to humanity but that was not a conservative view because people from all walks of life, faiths and ethnicities were and are also servants. We believed in helping people. We volunteered our time for countless causes and never expected recognition as it was simply the right thing to do. Charities, fundraisers, food banks … the list goes on and on. That’s not what “made us” conservative, that’s what made us human and (hopefully) good people. It was never a forced thing, it was the natural thing. In hindsight the only thing that really made us conservative was family finances. Neither of my parents or sets of grandparents were raised with or “had money” so it was natural to keep ourselves fiscally conservative. On the social spectrum we never knew what conservative meant. We had family and friends of various social, economic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and they were all great people which brings me back to MAGA …

The primary components of the MAGA movement can be defined as the antithesis of the teachings of Christ. The movement itself was started by the Heritage Foundation, which holds Christian Nationalist views. ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) They desire a White “Christian” heteropatriarchy; i.e., a society where only white heterosexual males rule. White women are second class but are closely followed by male POC then female POC. Anyone who does not identify as heterosexual, is not male, and is not (a) Christian (Nationalist) is well down the list with the intent and desire to move them even further down the pecking order of humanity. It ultimately emphasizes that discrimination against women and LGBTQ people is derived from the same (sexist) set of social principles. The concept asserts that in the heteropatriarchal society they are trying to force, cisgender heterosexual men generally occupy the highest positions of power in society, causing women, non-binary people, transgender men, and other LGBTQ people to experience the bulk of social oppression in relation to gender and sexuality. The movement sees women as “birthing units” whose sole purpose is to have children and “take care of their husband”. Their voices would be removed via the Save (America) Act. Gerrymandering efforts have already diminished voices in numerous Black/POC districts which was also part of their actions and activities to weaken and/or obliterate the Voting Rights Act that had been enacted to try to level the field that White America had stacked against them from the days of the Emancipation Proclamation forward.

One of the architects of Project 2025, Stephen Miller, is a vocal racist and White Nationalist. His “I only want White people in the United States” stance is one that he spouts at any opportunity that he can find and he is Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor. He was in his 20’s when he wrote the family separation policy to detach migrant parents from their children at the Mexican border that was implemented during Trump’s first term. He relishes depriving people of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness when they are not White. One of the most odd facts about Miller is that he is Jewish not Christian yet he firmly believes in and espouses Christian Nationalist views that are not prevalent in Judaism. As a result, his entire family has disowned and disavowed him. His wife, Katie, is a self-identified “conservative Jew” albeit one who is very vocal in her own White Nationalist views that in many ways are even more abhorrent.

The MAGA movement grew out of the Tea Party movement because the Heritage Foundation, among other power brokers and think tanks, were taking a very slow and deliberate approach. They started bastardizing the teachings of Christ that they claim to be so strongly in support of. Then came the ‘dog whistles’ against Barack Obama from the birther conspiracy forward to include calling him a “radical”, a “jihadist”, and a “communist” even though there was nothing to support those claims before, during, or after his presidency ergo it was because of his race because they had not used those terms prior to him and have only used them against Kamala Harris, who is half Black and half Indian, since.

For those who were not aware, the MAGA movement and its loyalists refer to themselves as “alt-right”. Alt-right (aka: alternative right) is a term that was coined by Richard Spencer ( Wiki bio ) ( White Supremacist in a suit ) to rebrand the Neo-Nazi movement. ( Alt-right #1 ) ( Alt-right #2 ) ( Alt-right #3 ) ( Alt-right #4 ) Yes, allow that to marinate. Neo-Nazi became the alt-right to become MAGA.

Look at it this way, Donald Trump is a known racist going back to his days as an owner of apartments in New York where his property managers were instructed to put a “C” on rental applications for POC who were then routinely denied the opportunity to rent. Multiple cases were settled by the Trump family covering more than a decade. ( US Congress doc from 1982 ) ( US DOJ case - 1973 ) ( Fair Housing Ace cases ). Add in that Elon Musk is also a known racist aligned with the Neo-Nazi movement, to include the German alt-right AFD party, who has thrown the the Nazi salute, also known as the Hitler salute, or the Sieg Heil salute on multiple occasions as has former Advisor Steve Bannon. Those are not accidents nor are they horseplay. They were intentional. Tied to their views as White Nationalists.

When it comes to Christianity it is actually extremely easy to identify some very ANTI-Christian practices that are intentional because many MAGA principles conflict with the teachings of Christ by promoting exclusions and divisions as well as putting a strong focus on political power rather than compassion and love for others. This includes actions that contradict His command to love one's neighbor and to care for the vulnerable. In Christianity these are non-negotiable whereas in Christian Nationalism they are irrelevant. Christ would not have taken food away from people, he would have gotten them more through community. On August 5, 2026 current USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins stated that his SNAP cuts were “a pretty big win”. Those cuts include approximately 5,000,000 people to include an estimated 1,500,000 children. Christ would not force people to go hungry, especially children.

On top of those points, many on the alt-right have taken to using and displaying a flag known as the “Appeal to Heaven” aka: the Pine Tree flag. If you are not aware of what it is and represents it looks like a harmless piece of Americana. In reality it is another dog whistle for Christian Nationalism and was displayed by … rioters … at the US capitol on January 6, 2021 as well as being displayed by US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s at both his primary residence immediately following January 6th as well as his beach home in the summer of 2022. These flags have proliferated in both public buildings as well as government offices. Not as a celebration of American independence that it was initially known for but as a coded endorsement of the ongoing Christian Nationalist crusade, hidden in plain sight.

https://apnews.com/article/alito-supreme-court-flags-history-symbol-protest-a5415aeba90e21a86a50f8489fc54b7a

So is it Christianity or is it Christian Nationalism? Those on the alt-right attempt to justify it under Christianity even though their messaging is definitely contrary to that in large part. Now we get to talk about something that had been hidden and in many ways still is … A small town pastor by the name of Doug Wilson.

Doug Wilson is a 73-year-old pastor and author who leads Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho (pop. +/- 27,000). He is also a leader in the classical Christian education movement and founded Logos Schools ( 1 ), New Saint Andrews College ( 2 ), the Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS) ( 3 ), and leads the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC) ( 4 ). Ultimately it is the CREC component that ties everything into the MAGA movement.

CREC is not a specific church. CREC is not a specific religion. CREC is an affiliation and when it comes to the MAGA movement it is that affiliation that most people are not aware of. Officially Wilson’s CREC has +/- 150 affiliated churches. Unofficially Wilson’s CREC has > 500 affiliated churches in the US alone. Why does that matter? The hidden affiliates + the number of members + their theology in combination but in the end it is their theological doctrine but one of their most notable adherents is current Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth so it shows you how much sway they have within the MAGA movement. Hegseth has had Wilson lead prayer services at the Pentagon which many have claimed are less voluntary and more compulsory to stay on Hegseth’s good side but there is more. Hegseth, by his own admission moved his families (ex-wives x2, current wife x1, 7 children between the 3 women) to the Nashville area so all 7 children would be able to attend an ACCS school in Whites Creek, TN. There are four-hundred-seventy-one (471) schools identified on the ClassicalChristian website in the US alone which when added into Wilson’s umbrella gives him a ton of reach that a pastor from a small town would not be able to attain without help and lots of it.

When it comes to Wilson’s ideological views that’s where you can find the reason why the Heritage Foundation and alt-right support him.

Part of Wilson’s appeal to MAGA is that he a self-identified and vocally self-proclaimed Christian Nationalist with a bunch of radical caveats. His views on issues pertaining to abortion, same-sex marriage, slavery and visions of a white Christian nation have drawn consternation even within many religious circles. Some of Wilson’s statements over the years have aroused doubt as they have been seen, by consensus, as sexist and unbecoming of a Christian.

One of those statements involved Wilson, who is married and a father, saying that giving women the lawful ability to vote is a bad idea saying, “Women are the kind of people that people come out of.” AND “The wife and mother, who is the chief executive of the home, is entrusted with three or four or five eternal souls,” Wilson said during an interview with CNN in August 2025. Hegseth, following that interview, posted a clip of Wilson’s appearance on X with the caption: “All of Christ for All of Life.” This coming from an individual who has been married three times, was unfaithful to at least his first two ex-wives, was found to have mismanaged the finances of multiple charities to include allegations of theft and embezzlement, and has very publicly treated both women and people of color (POC) as severely inferior to White males. ( NWLC article October 2025 ) ( AP article September 2025 ) ( Doug Wilson on women ) ( Hegseth in The Guardian ) ( The Nation ) ( Doug Wilson on Women ) ( The Dangers of Doug Wilson - December 2024 )

There are so many dangers associated with the MAGA movement unless you are highly racist, highly misogynistic, majorly discriminatory against all who are not (1) White (2) “Christian” (3) Male violates everything that OUR country was founded on. Extolling and/or glorifying hatred against other humans simply because of who they were born as is truly anti-American, the country that has always been a melting pot. The Declaration of Independence is very clear when it states unequivocally that we are all created equally and are all entitled to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.

The MAGA movement is the exact opposite which is why I have written this open letter and am hopeful that people read and research as much as possible then decide which side of history they want to be on, the one that recognizes that +/- 8.5B people on our planet run the gamut or the one that believes in discrimination just to make themselves feel superior.

Keep in mind that history has its eyes on you (us), which side do you want to end up on?

Read more

The hard-right will brand him as a traitor because he stood up to President Trump (et. al) in a way that no other military officer has. Current Secretary of Defense (not War) Pete Hegseth was also a Major but in the Army Reserves where he was ultimately separated prior to being eligible for retirement for, in his own words, being an extremist. (His tattoos alone would lead one to believe that to be an accurate statement.) That those who Major Watson called out for impeachment, conviction and removal have said nothing is amazing because they tend to react in schoolyard manners intended to incite their base (January 6th anyone?) with only some mild comments from the Secretary of the Air Force, Dr. Troy Meink, about allowing the legal case to run its course there has been little comment, most of which is tied to the judicial gag order that remains in place today.

The right / center / left tends to see him as a hero, a term that he eschews because in his own words he is “Just A Nobody” albeit a nobody with the stones to stand on the US Capitol steps and call the President a criminal hiding behind his title, something that only Richard Nixon had done before him until the power brokers in the Republican Party told him in very specific terms that he needed to resign from office, something none of the power brokers in the current Republican Party will even consider because they have chosen “power” over OUR country and US as its citizens.

So where does this lead us? History has its eyes on you Traitor Trump, Traitor Vance, and Traitor Hegseth. And I say “traitor” because that is what they are. Their oaths of office are very similar to the words of Major Watson’s oath as a military officer that he read on the Capitol steps:

“I, Jason Paul Watson, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."

The Constitution is supposed to be sacrosanct. From its first word to its last it is supposed to be as immutable as the laws of gravity unless or until it is amended. It is not a conservative document nor it is a liberal document, it is intended to stand on its own for every person in our country not just a subset.

The presidential oath of office is the mandatory and constitutionally required promise that a newly elected leader recites before exercising executive powers. It is mandated by Article II, Section 1, Clause 8 of the US Constitution and is traditionally administered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

The exact text of the oath is:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

What Major Watson stated was that Trump, Vance, Hegseth, etc. have repeatedly violated their oaths to our Constitution and no one has been holding them accountable. That is 100% accurate and a huge understatement. Yes, there have been some vocal people making statements but none of the “powerful” have demanded their removals as they should. The list of impeachable offenses far exceed what Major Watson mentioned on July 1st in his speech at the US Capitol and that list is long, very long. Our US Congress has the authority, and they are the only authority, who can file the articles of impeachment. Any member of the US House of Representatives can invoke Rule IX ( Rule IX explained ) which forces a vote within two (2) legislative days. Yes, two. Why have all elected officials outside of Congressman Al Green (D-TX) failed to live up to their constitutional duties? No one has been able to ever get them to answer that question. So Major Watson called them out on the steps of the US Capitol, following the oath that he has sworn multiple times over the past 2+ decades since entering the United States Air Force Academy.

Impeachment, conviction, and removal are distinct constitutional steps for holding federal officials accountable in the United States. [1, 2]

• Impeach: The House of Representatives brings formal charges against an official by passing articles of impeachment with a simple majority vote. [1, 2]

• Convict: The Senate conducts a trial, and a two-thirds supermajority of the Senators present is required to find the official guilty. [1, 2]

• Remove: Conviction automatically results in the official’s immediate removal from office. The Senate may also hold a subsequent majority vote to disqualify them from holding future federal office. [1, 2, 3]

If we fail to hold our elected officials responsible to do the jobs that they were elected to do, which includes them holding other elected officials accountable to their oaths, then our democratic republic will fail. Major Watson gave up his salary, his pension, his freedoms and more for OUR Constitution and OUR democratic republic. That being said, history has its eyes on all of us. Major Watson knows what the Constitution says and he knows what each elected official’s oath says and he spoke to them.

Major Watson was on the right side of history and we should demand that Congress do their jobs so that our democratic republic does not fail.

With the help of and her Removal Coalition Major Watson performed an act of civil disobedience.

Right up until the moment he stepped in front of the microphone and spoke he knew that he could stop. Almost no one knew the full scope of the plan as he held that close to protect himself. Ms. Denson and Congressman Al Green knew some of the details while others who stood with him knew some of the details as well but the plan belonged to Major Watson.

Prior to his act of civil disobedience he recorded an interview with Ms. Denson where he discussed the rationale behind his act, the contents of which were not released until after his arrest. Outside of Ms. Denson virtually no one was aware that the interview was even conducted but if you listen to his words and his responses to her questions you will see that his thought process was very linear. He was resolute and did not hesitate.

A few days after Major Watson’s arrest Ms. Denson conducted an interview with CNN to discuss the known facts of the case up to that point.

Today, Ms. Denson conducted a live follow-up interview with Congressman Green.

As of right now, Major Watson is being investigated by the USAF. He is confined to a military base but is not incarcerated in the civilian manner. He is bound to a gag order that prevents him from speaking to the media but he has been in regular contact with his USAF JAG attorneys as well as the civilian attorney who was retained by us after his arrest. He is in good spirits and is accepting of the process. His defense will not be inexpensive so a crowdfunding campaign has ben established for people to donate to if they support Major Watson standing up for the US Constitution and our democratic republic.

https://www.spotfund.com/story/329d1bd6-55ac-4fdc-832b-33ca935f934e

None of us involved in the campaign are accepting any wages, we are all volunteers doing this for free because we know that he needs us and our support. He needs yours as well because he did it for us.

Time. Energy. Effort. We’re in. If you have time to help please do, even if it is only to send the crowdfunding campaign to those you know will support Major Watson as he stands up to honor the oath that he has sworn multiple times since graduating from the United States Air Force Academy:

“I, [STATE YOUR NAME], do solemnly swear [OR AFFIRM] that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me God.

Major Watson believes in that oath and if you watched the videos above you will see why he firmly believed in what he was doing. He asks that you reach out to your Members of Congress and demand that they invoke Rule IX which was designed with purpose and does not require approval of Congressional leaders. By law when Rule IX is invoked Congress is required to hold a floor vote within two (2) legislative days. When you reach out to your Members of Congress please be specific in asking why they have not had the courage to invoke Rule IX to fight for us and our democratic republic. It is a simple question without nuances and only requires a simple answer. To date the only MoC who has had that courage to attempt to invoke Rule IX is Congressman Green. ( Rep. Green moves to impeach ) Others need to explain why they are not as committed to what our Constitution requires.

If we all stand silent our democratic republic will fall.

Major Watson believes this as do we.

Which side of history do you want to be on?

“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that things are difficult.”

- Seneca, Roman Stoic Philosopher

Over the past few months, I have often contemplated how to convincingly champion Seneca’s wisdom in the face of the challenges looming in front of We the People. The cynic will tell you that removing the Trump regime through our Constitution’s impeachment process is impossible right now, and therefore a waste of invaluable time and effort. They say things like “We don’t have the votes” or “Republicans will never vote against Trump.” I talk about this flawed logic briefly in another article. In fairness, there are several indisputable facts that persuasively prop up such arguments. Namely, while wrangling the handful of Republican votes in the House to impeach is a reasonable (albeit treacherous) endeavor, securing 20 Republican votes in the Senate, together with unanimous Democrat and Independent support, is a big undertaking, to put it mildly. However, giving up before even trying is the very definition of a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is precisely the perception of its impossibility that the Trump regime relies on to retain power, along with enablers in Congress rely on to remain comfortably in office, collecting paychecks and cashing in on the regime’s corruption while betraying their oaths to the Constitution at the expense of average Americans. Imagine, instead, if every American dissatisfied with the Trump regime’s countless failures resolutely rejected this fascist government. There are many shapes such civil resistance could take:

- A peaceful yet unrelentingly defiant occupation of the National Mall in the U.S. Capitol in the tens of thousands, similar to the Occupy D.C. Movement in 2011

- A silent, disciplined, and dignified nonviolent march, like the 1917 Silent Protest Parade, but converging on Washington D.C. and in the millions

- A persistent general strike with tens of millions refusing to work

- An economic blackout with over a hundred million withholding their purchasing power

The cynic contends that efforts such as these are futile. That We the People will never summon enough public will and participation to force Congress to remove this unconstitutional, illegal, corrupt, and violent regime. Doubtless, many negative nay-sayers are magnitudes smarter and more knowledgeable on the workings of government than I could ever hope to be. But they are blinded by their inability to consider that with even just a sliver of hope, multitudes of average Americans might act in a manner that they personally lack the conviction to pursue. Despite the genuine brilliance of many of these individuals, whether they be elites in media, government, or other elements of high society, the vast majority appear unable to imagine a pathway out of fascist America because they themselves are unwilling to commit to the kinds of risks and sacrifices such a pathway would require of both them and others. This reminds me of a scene from the Matrix: Reloaded where The Oracle wisely asserts, “We can never see past the choices we don’t understand.” Not wanting to confront their own complicit hypocrisy, many rationalize that it simply cannot be done. I imagine these individuals tell themselves that there are too few people willing to step up, so there is nothing that can reasonably be done about it, which eases the cognitive dissonance emerging from their induced compliance. The “conventional wisdom” of the cynic relies on assumptions grounded in the status quo, consequently perpetuating a restricting perspective that protects that unjust status quo.

In contrast, societal-level change agents rebuff the status quo. These unapologetic idealists understand that attitudes are contagious. It is far more constructive to frame our perspectives to seek out the best in people, and in so doing, help us all achieve our greatest potential. These individuals believe that, working together with others, we can move our society ever closer to the ideal democracy with dignity and respect for all regardless of differences in beliefs or values. The most inspiring of change agents are willing to risk or sacrifice it all to achieve the just change they seek. Pulling from fiction once more, this radical commitment to positive change parallels Captain Kirk’s espoused philosophy when he lays down his life to save his crew in Star Trek: Into Darkness: “I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. I only know what I can do.” Our present predicament is quite the quagmire; it is only natural that none of us knows, on our own, how exactly we can get out of it. But each of us knows what we can do - that next step, be it big or small. If we have faith in one another, and hope for a brighter future, we can find the courage to take that step, then the next one, then the next one…until the solution we seek emerges through our collective and collaborative actions. With enough commitment, Our Republic will come back stronger than ever.

In his famous “Civil Disobedience” essay, Henry David Thoreau boldly asserted that, “Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison.” The United States of America have been a beacon of hope for the world because generations of Americans have toiled time and again to reject the status quo, despite the odds, regardless of personal costs, in order to live up to the promises of our Constitution and the democratic republic it represents. The time for our generation to boldly risk and sacrifice in service to a better Republic is here. It will take all of us, but none of us are alone, and none of us need be “great” figures like our inspirational heroes of the past. We need only choose to be good, which is plenty good enough. Even Just A. Nobody like me can stand up to fascism, and you can too.

Do not just resist. Defend.

We the People have all of the Power.

The oligarchs behind Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) Broadcasting Inc., and parent company Paramount Skydance, have worked overtime to earn the scorn of We the People. This all began back in November of 2024 when Trump sued CBS for $10 billion (yes, BILLION) in damages for laughable claims against a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris that do not even merit repeating. Shortly after returning to the Oval Office, Trump amended the suit to double the damages sought to $20 billion while siccing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr on CBS in a blatant attack on our First Amendment’s freedom of the press. It was bad enough for the President of the United States to debase the office by pursuing such a ridiculous lawsuit in the first place. Disturbingly, he not only continued pursuing the lawsuit once in office, he increased his demands while weaponizing the Executive Branch to bully Paramount into submission. I must clearly state: The abuse of the FCC’s authorities in this manner was already brazenly unconstitutional and undeniably impeachable conduct. Add to that the FCC’s authority to delay or even deny the pending $8.4-billion merger between Paramount and Skydance media, it is a clear case of extortion through abuse of governmental power. Infuriatingly, it worked. Paramount agreed to a $16 million settlement of a baseless lawsuit to appease Trump. Shari Redstone, controlling shareholder over Paramount Global, sold out CBS’s freedom of the press because she just could not be bothered with some paltry proletariat concern like patriotism for the country she actually calls home. In her words, “I believed it was always in Paramount’s best interest to settle. We may not like the world we live in, but a board has to do what’s in the best interest of shareholders.” If that’s not a big middle finger to Americans expecting corporations and institutions to take a patriotic stand against this regime’s widespread extortion and bribery, regardless of costs, then I don’t know what is. We are also expected to swallow CBS’s claim that cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was “purely a financial decision.” To be fair, from a certain perspective, this is true. Shari Redstone wanted her sale to go through, so CBS cancelled the show to curry favor with the Trump regime. That’s just savvy business practice for the sake of the revered shareholders. Lo and behold! The FCC approved the merger a week later. How did the Trump regime interpret the cancellation? One need not guess.

Enter the face of Trump’s resurrected Gilded Age of crony capitalism and corrupt American oligarchy, David Ellison. Ellison wasted no time monetizing his fealty to Trump, installing Bari Weiss of “The Free Press” (a name so thick with irony, it could shield against a nuclear blast) as the new Editor-in-Chief of CBS News. Weiss, in turn, wasted no time destroying the credibility of CBS News with an eagerness no doubt encouraged by Ellison. The scale of Weiss’s demolition came into clearer focus when Scott Pelley blew the whistle on her reckless and inexplicable decisions. Legendary journalist Anderson Cooper made his views pretty clear during his 60 Minutes farewell. All of this leaves no room for doubt about the role that Shari Redstone, Bari Weiss, and David Ellison have played in weakening freedom of the press in the U.S., and by extension, the resilience of Our Republic. The First Amendment has never been more vital to the endurance of Our Republic, yet corporate owner billionaires, who could not possibly need more money, only care about making more, aiding the Trump regime in the trampling of our rights in the pursuit of ever-higher profits. So why on earth should We the People continue to permit such profits? And while the dismantling of CBS is one of the most egregious offenses against us, it is far from an isolated case. I could weave together a similarly damning case against X, Meta, Amazon, Google, OpenAI…The list of collaborators and enablers is quite long.

In The Grind (Part Two), I proposed the Six C’s of Change as a framework for the six main spaces where We the People can focus our everyday actions to engage in persistent, impactful civil resistance. One of those was “In the Coffers,” promoting the effectiveness of boycotts with mass participation. Here is the relevant excerpt:

Another easy step we can all take is to boycott corporations that are either bankrolling the Trump regime, supporting it, or kowtowing to it. Similar to a general strike, boycotts are unique in that they are not technically action, but the denial of action. A boycott is the deliberate refusal to continue an action, in this case making purchases, that pillars of support for the regime depend on us all to continue. Unlike a general strike, however, the costs incurred by each of us individually to engage in a boycott are often trivial or non-existent. Examples of costs might be things like convenience, comfort, or price differences for shopping for the same product through other vendors, as one might face if they refuse to purchase items from Amazon. Mass boycotts are gaining traction with movements like “Resist and Unsubscribe.” In a time when prices keep going up, boycotts can be executed in a way that actually saves us money, which may be necessary with an increasingly challenging economic situation anyways. In this way, boycotts can kill two birds with one stone.

There are other activist organizations calling for similar boycott movements, like Big Beautiful Boycott. These movements deserve far more support than they have received. I would argue that none of us should watch CBS any longer, or be on X, or have a Facebook page, or buy from Amazon, or shop at Target… However, the point of this piece is not to once again emphasize DOOR’s support for such efforts, but rather to call for wholesale, across-the-board boycott action. Every American that loves Our Republic should eliminate all discretionary spending from their budget. As I mention above, the beauty of boycotts is they are practically zero-risk activities that require minimal sacrifice. The drawback is that it relies on tens of millions of people participating in order for it to work. To help amplify and expedite impact to the Trump regime to the point of credibly challenging their power, it would be far more effective for people to stop spending money on anything and everything that is not absolutely essential. The Trump regime needs the economy to function to maintain power. So shut it down. Considering how much more expensive everything is getting anyways, why not save our money? The less money that We the People spend, the more we reassert our collective power, and there is NOTHING that DJT or his enablers can do about it.

Do not just resist. Defend.

Not a Democrat or Republican. Not Liberal and not Conservative. I am an Independent American: Follow me on Bluesky, @davidicw.bsky.social, https://cbwrong.blogspot.com/

For most of our history, the United States didn’t just claim to be the land of the free and the home of the brave — the world largely agreed. People saw a country that tried, however imperfectly, to live up to its own ideals. A nation that defended democracy, honored its alliances, and stood for something larger than raw power.

That reputation hasn’t disappeared, but it has undeniably weakened. And the uncomfortable truth is that America’s global standing has slipped in ways that are visible, measurable, and widely discussed abroad. The decline didn’t begin with Donald Trump, but his presidency accelerated it more sharply than anything in recent memory.

This isn’t about partisanship. It’s about perception — and perception shapes power.

The Ideal Still Exists, But the World No Longer Assumes We Live Up to It

People everywhere still recognize the American story. They know the anthem, the flag, the promise of opportunity. But today, they see a country that spends more time fighting itself than leading others. They see a nation that questions its own institutions, breaks with long‑time allies, and praises strongmen it once opposed. They see a superpower that looks uncertain about what it stands for.

International polling reflects this shift. A major global survey shows confidence in U.S. leadership fell to historic lows.

Who Benefited from America’s Retreat

When the United States steps back, others step forward.

China has been the biggest winner. As the U.S. pulled out of global agreements and quarreled with its allies, China expanded its Belt and Road Initiative, filling the vacuum.

Russia also gained ground. Many countries in the Global South now see Russia as a counterweight to American unpredictability.

Meanwhile, BRICS nations — Brazil, India, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Turkey — have gained leverage by refusing to align with Washington automatically. Analysts warn that BRICS expansion is reshaping global power dynamics in ways the U.S. didn’t anticipate.

Who Paid the Price

The countries most hurt by America’s decline are those that depended on U.S. stability, leadership, and predictability.

America’s closest allies — Europe, Canada, Japan, South Korea — suddenly had to question whether the United States would keep its commitments. Reporting showed that NATO partners questioned U.S. reliability in ways that would have been unthinkable a decade earlier.

Aid‑dependent nations suffered when the U.S. pulled back from global health and humanitarian programs. The decision to withdraw from the WHO during a global pandemic sent shockwaves through the international community.

Countries relying on U.S. security guarantees, especially in Asia, faced rising threats with less certainty about American support.

When America retreats, instability grows. And the nations that rely on stability feel it first.

How the Trump Years Accelerated the Decline

The erosion of America’s global image didn’t begin with Trump, but his presidency turned a gradual slide into a dramatic drop.

The world watched the United States:

• challenge its own democratic institutions

• praise authoritarian leaders

• insult long‑standing allies

• withdraw from global agreements

• separate families at the border

• and attempt to overturn an election

These weren’t just domestic controversies. They were global signals.

Foreign newspapers ran headlines asking whether America had lost its moral compass. For decades, even when people disagreed with U.S. policies, they still believed America stood for something. During the Trump years, that belief cracked.

The Result: A Changed American Brand

The phrase “land of the free and home of the brave” still resonates, but it no longer functions as an unquestioned truth. To many abroad, it now sounds more like an aspiration than a description.

The world sees a divided nation, a confused superpower, a democracy under strain, and a country unsure of its own identity. The American story isn’t gone — but it’s no longer taken for granted.

Why This Moment Matters

A strong America stabilizes the world. A divided America unsettles it.

When we lose credibility, we lose influence. When we lose influence, others gain power — and not always the ones who share our values.

If America wants to reclaim its place, it has to do more than repeat old slogans. It has to live up to them.

Freedom isn’t a brand. Bravery isn’t a chant. Leadership isn’t a memory.

They’re choices. And the world is waiting to see if we’ll make them again.

I love my country. It is worth sacrificing the freedom I cherish to defend it from fascism.

Today is National Flag Day. In typical fashion, The Atlantic recently delivered an article that I could offer a scathing critique of to commemorate this important day for our country. However, rather than another argument against a journalist, I thought it better, with help from the DOOR community, to demonstrate patriotism for our flag, our country, and the promise of America in order to counter the hyper-selective nature of The Atlantic’s article. There are plenty of Americans all across the political spectrum that feel patriotic about America, including on the left, and even from other countries that admire what the United States has offered to the world. Below are just some examples from our DOOR volunteers.

@jaybird54.bsky.social:

This is for my four young grandchildren:

To me, the U.S. flag isn’t just a symbol of our past; it is a promise for your future. When I look at those stars and stripes, I think of the bedtime stories I will tell you—stories of a country where everyday people worked together to build something beautiful, free, and fair. Patriotism means loving America enough to keep making her better, just like the generations before us did. My greatest wish is for you four to grow up with that same fierce, childhood pride I had, looking at our flag and knowing that America’s best days aren’t behind us, but are waiting to be shaped by bright, brave dreamers like you.

@saltybitchables.bsky.social:

My first memory of the American flag is from elementary school.

I asked my teacher why we had to pledge allegiance to the flag every morning. She explained that it represented our country and that many people fought and died so I could be free. It’s for every American, regardless of gender, race, or religion. She stimulated my curiosity. I knew my uncles and grandfathers had all gone to war, so the flag symbolized their sacrifice. I’ve had an ancestor in every war that fought for our freedoms.

They fought so that I’d have a shot at a better life than they had. Christian nationalists don’t want women or people of color to have a voice, and they don’t want you to be able to worship any religion except their bastardized version of ‘Christianity’.

They want to strip every freedom that makes my country America.

I love my country.

Before I am a Democrat, before I am anything, I’m an American.

“Sassy”:

Freedom is Everything!

Who would have thought that a war, an actual, gruesome war, could lead to something extraordinarily important that sets the United States apart from many other countries in a genuinely positive way? Freedom matters to everyone. But for people with physical disabilities, freedom depends in large part on the ability to move about independently. On being able to drive a car. On how accessible a country is, its restaurants, bars, hotels, public spaces. In many other countries, true accessibility has only begun to emerge in recent years. In others, it remains incomplete.

In the United States, however, the legacy of the Vietnam War gave rise to a disability rights movement that produced the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), now in place for decades. It ensures that people with disabilities are not made to feel excluded when they go out into the world.

I am a wheelchair user. When I visited the location where Flipper was filmed, a hidden, old wooden restaurant and bar tucked away in Florida, it was fully accessible. The venue itself, the outdoor bathroom, all of it. And when people with disabilities visit America, they can simply rent a car and have the necessary adaptations arranged at the rental desk.

For disabled people, this translates into a level of freedom that is rarely available anywhere else at that scale.

@carlsbaddave.bsky.social:

In the past, I have had the opportunity to perform medical work in Guatemala and Honduras. I worked in areas very few tourists visit, and became a part of the community when I was there. I did my first volunteer work in Guatemala when I was 17. I had always taken for granted what we have in the United States. In Guatemala I did my laundry in a river by getting my clothes wet and soapy, then rubbing them on rocks hoping to get the dirt out. When I came home I put my clothes in a washing machine and stood there watching it, wondering how it got clothes clean when all I did in the river was wear away the dirty threads. I went to Honduras after Hurricane Mitch and helped people who had lost everything they owned. In both countries, the people were kind, generous, and happy. That really hit home for me.

Now I look at all the conveniences we have, the high standards of living, and I’m grateful for everything, especially our freedom to do what we feel is right and best for everyone. I wish we could welcome immigrants to our country to learn how they remain happy with very few material possessions and how they value generosity and kindness. I’m grateful to live here and I hope I can help make things equal and beneficial for everyone who lives here.

@fiesty1.bsky.social:

In the 1950s we recited The Pledge of Allegiance together every morning in school, hand over heart. I didn’t feel indoctrinated, I felt included. In my child’s heart I believed it. I felt part of something bigger than my neighborhood, my city & state, even America herself!

I am proud of America & all we achieved, even as I came to understand that we had often failed to live up to our pledge of Liberty & Justice for all. But I had taken the oath, The Pledge. It was & is up to me, a loyal American Patriot, to continue the work of making America a More Perfect Union. We have not failed. We’re just not finished yet!

@bilbow.bsky.social:

The United States can live up to its potential. I see strangers helping strangers by protesting at concentration camps. Walking together in solidarity in No Kings protests. Bringing new immigrants groceries so they don’t have to leave the house. The current phase is growing pains so it can become what it was meant to be. Moving forward in a better direction. Just like the Reconstruction era, I see it coming back stronger. This is why I help promote U.S. democracy. Obama has emphasized that ordinary citizens must serve as the “anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy”, arguing that fixing democratic backsliding relies on public participation rather than waiting for a savior. Author G. Michael Hopf wrote “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times...”. The quote continues, however perhaps this is the better ending.

“Wile E.”:

Patriotism, to me, is rooted not in the idea that my country has always been perfect, but in a deep belief in what it strives to be. I love the vision laid out in the Constitution, a promise of liberty, justice, and human dignity that, while not always fulfilled, has endured and pushed us forward. Our history has been uneven, and at times we have fallen short of that dream, but the fact that the dream persists, and that we continue to make progress toward it, is something I am proud of. I admire how, after World War II, the United States had the power to dominate but chose instead to help rebuild the world and support a more open and stable global order. I am inspired by the incredible scientific and medical advances that have come out of this country over the past century, advances that have changed the world and saved lives, including my own. As a Jew, I have felt a sense of safety and belonging here that is not guaranteed everywhere, and as someone whose life was saved by a rare and complex medical procedure, I often wonder if I would still be alive had I been born elsewhere. My patriotism is grounded in gratitude, in hope, and in a commitment to the idea that this country can keep becoming better than it has been.

“Cheryl”:

To me, the American flag represents hope, the promise that our nation can continue striving toward a future where every person is treated with dignity, fairness, and respect. Patriotism is not about blind loyalty to leaders or political parties; it is about believing in the ideals of democracy, equality, and justice for all. I want to see an America where people are judged by their character, actions, and contributions rather than their appearance, background, or identity. An America where everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed, where discrimination has no place, and where our differences are seen as strengths rather than divisions. I believe our government should serve the people, not the powerful few, and that greed, corruption, and the misuse of public trust should never be accepted. The promise of America is not that we are perfect, but that we can keep working toward a more equal, compassionate, and inclusive society for everyone.

“Mo B”:

My America is vibrant and full of color. I have always expressed myself through bold hues and intricate patterns in my clothing and art. While I sometimes envy how beautifully rich colors stand out against darker skin tones, shades my own fair skin can’t quite wear, I find endless joy in the spectrum of the world around me. Walking down the streets of Chicago, I love seeing the diverse faces that light up as we exchange smiles. The city is alive with endless small businesses and ethnic restaurants filled with the aroma of incredible food. Here, I can breathe clean air and watch the blue waves of Lake Michigan roll into the shore. I love the brilliant colors of the Pride flag, the energy of pride parades, and the artistry of drag shows. We are lucky to have a limitless variety of music, television, and film, but most of all, I cherish the freedom to make my own decisions. I love that people are different and that I can constantly learn from other cultures, faiths, and languages. I welcome this beautiful, messy, diverse world straight into my soul.

@verbalprimate.com:

America has always been a place of dark and light for me. My patriotism is conflicted but strong. A skeptic and a wandering questioner, my childish flag waving eroded into a more complex view of American history: an eyes open worldview about the fragility of democracy and the evil that can be perpetrated. Grew up wrapped in a comfortable family that disintegrated. At 18 went from a a private college to working in the coal industry and then washing cars. I progressed but was aware that people who were less white than me or who were women or who were otherwise different progressed more slowly and had more struggle. What I am patriotic about is the grit of Americans. We do turn the wheel forward, on average over time.

@wdstckdr.bsky.social:

I became a naturalized citizen of the United States at the age of 18 after immigrating with my family at age 10. I remember feeling proud to be part of this country. Coming from Canada the changing culture was surprisingly evident, but I found the teachers were probably the first source of my acceptance of identity as an American. I was in sixth grade and the first day of school, the principal asked me to raise the American flag in front of the school, something I did for my entire sixth grade year. I learned how to fold the flag properly. I learned the meaning of the flag and the meaning of freedom. As I went to college, I found myself engaged in free speech and the ability to engage in protests and in celebrations. I remember when affirmative action was first implemented. I realized this increased the competition and embraced that, subsequently marching in support of something that might affect me in the long run as my intent was to go to medical school. Being a dual citizen in no way causes any conflict regarding my love for this country. I worked hard at school and even though I was on a green card at the time of my application for college. The United States gave me a full scholarship to a state school. The greater good were words that rang true at the time and excited me. At this point, I could easily return to Canada and they would welcome me with open arms. I choose to stay and take action to make the land I call home the country I arrived in as a child. I hope people understand that it’s not where you were born or what your ancestry is when you raise your right hand in front of the judge and swear allegiance to the United States, you have made a solemn vow. I live by that vow. I’m proud to be part of We the People.

@dividerdecider.bsky.social:

In 2000, I worked for a temp agency on Dey Street a block from the World Trade Center which I commuted under on the PATH every day. After I switched temp agencies, the Towers shockingly came down. Within days while flights were all grounded, flags began popping up in neighborhoods, businesses, and around the country, including the first on a Jersey overpass. It gave me hope and a sense of unity.

To this day, that overpass remains covered in flags, now joined by a 6-color Gay Pride Flag.

Seeing those flags today brings me the same hope as I had in 2001 that what divides us pales in comparison to what unites us.

“Sally”:

The American Flag. I carried it countless times as a teen when I was in a Fire Department color guard. We marched in many parades throughout the year but most were in the summer. We were even invited to march in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in NYC one year.

Because I was one of the taller girls in the CG, the American Flag was my responsibility. During the ‘present arms’ at reviewing stands, the flag had to be higher than the others. The other flags and rifles (not real ones) were lowered. I also had to put the flag pole on my shoulder until ‘at ease’ was called. The pole was heavy and it was a relief to put it back in my holder. Looking back, I’m proud that I did it.

@defendersofourrepublic.org (Just A. Nobody):

I love America. I love our unapologetic devotion to freedom. I love our passion for both the arts and our uniquely American sports. I love our diversity of cultures, all blended together in a beautiful melting pot that is the United States. I love the bustle of our cities and the peace of our countrysides. I love the complexity of Our Republic that generations have toiled and sacrificed to improve over 250 years. I love the opportunity that each generation has to improve upon the accomplishments of the last. I love the hope that America has given to people around the world for the chance at a better life for themselves and their children. I love how easily we can connect with our neighbors, no matter our backgrounds, based on a rich collection of shared experiences and values. I love what America can be for my children. A country where my daughter achieves true equality with her male peers, secure in her autonomy and rights, and safe in most any space. A country where my son learns how to be a man that protects others always. A country where, despite our many beliefs, everyone can find a place that they feel comfortable calling home.

Patriotism belongs to Americans that love our Constitution and the democratic republic it represents. It belongs to those of us that truly love our neighbors, no matter their qualities or political stances. It belongs to all Americans that value what America actually stands for, not what they wish it did. The violence of the Trump regime exposes their deep-seated hatred for Americans they cannot control and cynicism about the American spirit. This is why hate and violence are so central to their strategy. DJT and his enablers believe fear and intimidation are the only ways to get what they want because they have no real faith in America. For them, violence is the only way to force their perverse vision of America on the rest of us. They poison our democracy with hateful propaganda to get Americans to turn on their neighbors instead of supporting them and use violence to force submission amongst the rest.

In contrast, civil resistance is the ultimate act of hope and faith in our fellow Americans. DOOR believes that Americans value freedom and democracy far more than the exploitative politics of hateful divisiveness that prop up Trump’s despotism. We believe in what America stands for. Our testimonials are a tribute to the strength of our convictions about the patriotic ideals of America. Through peaceful civil resistance, we appeal directly to the American people with our message of hope and love. We aspire to restore our Republic by embracing the better angels of our nature. We know violence is not the answer just as we know that the democratic republic that is America will prevail over the fascism that Trump represents.

Not long ago, I offered a brief Bluesky post on the symbolism of the DOOR emblem.

The DOOR emblem shows the U.S. flag reversed, with the stars on the right, to symbolize how DOOR is always advancing forward to restore Our Republic. The flag is tattered to symbolize the trials we are going through right now, but still intact and right side up because We the People will overcome the challenges of these times and emerge stronger than ever for it. The flag is encircled by an enclosed ring of half-red and half-blue to symbolize that no matter our political affiliations or beliefs, we are all Americans, and we stand united in our love for freedom and democracy. On the left and right, there are a total of three blue and three red stars, symbolizing that America has had great presidents that have come from either side of the political spectrum of their time. DOOR does not have a political affiliation. We do not support a party. We are often critical not just of elected Republicans, who have abandoned their oaths to the Constitution, but of elected Democrats that have sat idly by, letting their Republican colleagues do so with nothing but impotent speeches and “strongly worded” letters. DOOR has faith not in politicians, but in Americans. It is We the People who will ultimately right this ship because our love of freedom will not tolerate fascism or anything like it.

We at DOOR believe in America, so we are taking our flag back.

The time for resistance alone has long since passed. Now, it is time to peacefully defend Our Republic with bold civil disobedience.

These are DOOR’s immediate demands:

(1) Congress must vote in a new Speaker of the House that will actually honor their oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

(2) Congress must then impeach, convict, and remove President Donald J. Trump in proceedings lasting no longer than a total of one day.

(3) Finally, Congress must impeach, convict, and remove Vice President JD Vance by no later than the very next day, in proceedings also lasting no longer than a day.

When Congress meets these demands of We the People, it places the new Speaker of the House as the new President of the United States. We thereby remove the entire fascist regime through just these three peaceful, legal actions by Congress, restoring Our Republic so the real work of defeating fascism in the long-term and strengthening Our Republic’s resilience as a democracy can finally begin.

On or about July 1st, DOOR takes action with a bold act of civil disobedience. It is time to open a new chapter in our efforts to save our republic. Why is DOOR choosing this path? For me, the answer is simple.

I love my country. It is worth sacrificing the freedom I cherish to defend it from fascism.

At DOOR, we not only resist. We defend.

Even Just A. Nobody like me can stand up to fascism.

You can too.

We invite you to join us.

Most Americans don’t walk around quoting the Constitution, but we all know this much: If someone keeps saying they’re defending the rules while breaking them, something’s off. And with Donald Trump, that pattern has been impossible to miss. He talks about the Constitution like it’s sacred, but some of his biggest moves and loudest claims have gone straight against what the Constitution actually says. And the real kicker: The people who were supposed to hold him accountable didn’t. Not because they couldn’t — but because they wouldn’t. Let’s walk through it.

Trump has always wrapped himself in the language of constitutional loyalty. He says he’s protecting America, protecting democracy, protecting the Founders’ vision. But then came December 2022, when he said that supposed election fraud “allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.” That’s not defending the Constitution. That’s tossing it aside because you don’t like the score. But instead of consequences, nothing happened. Why? Because the people in the Republican Party who were supposed to say “you can’t do that” didn’t want the fight. They stayed quiet, hoping someone else would deal with it.

Then there’s his favorite line about Article II — that it gives him the power to “do whatever I want.” That’s not how Article II works. The Founders didn’t write a constitution so a president could act like a king. That is exactly what the 4^th of July is actually about: The rejection of a king. But Trump said it anyway, used it to justify pushing the Justice Department, leaning on investigations, and treating presidential power like a personal tool. And again, nobody stopped him. Courts blocked some actions, sure, but courts can’t punish a president. They can only say “no,” and the Supreme Court taught Trump that “no” didn’t come with consequences.

January 6 is another example. Trump said he was defending democracy and protecting the Constitution. But the Constitution is crystal clear about what happens on that day to certify the election: Congress counts the votes. The vice president oversees it. That’s it. The people have already voted. The states are already certified. Trump pushing Mike Pence to throw out the results wasn’t defending the Constitution — it was trying to subvert it. And when a crowd stormed the Capitol to stop Congress from doing its job, that wasn’t patriotism, it was insurrection aimed at blocking a constitutional process. So why wasn’t he held accountable? Because too many people in power were scared of him. Scared of losing their seats. Scared of his base. Fear of being the next target at a rally. Accountability requires courage, and courage was in short supply.

Another example: birthright citizenship. The 14th Amendment says if you’re born here, you’re a citizen. It’s been that way for over 150 years. Trump said he could end that with an executive order. There is a way to amend the Constitution, but Trump thought he was above that. That’s not restoring the Constitution — that’s ignoring it. But again, no real consequences. Why? Because the system wasn’t built for a president who tries to rewrite the rules on the fly. The Founders assumed presidents would respect limits. They assumed a president would embrace the principles of Democracy. They didn’t imagine someone who would treat the Constitution like a menu.

And when Trump talked about the First Amendment, he meant speech he liked. But the First Amendment protects protest — even loud, angry protest aimed at the president. When he sent federal forces into cities and called it defending “law and order,” he wasn’t protecting the Constitution. He was protecting himself from criticism. But the people who were supposed to push back didn’t. They looked away. They hoped the storm would pass.

Underneath all of this is a simple truth: Trump wasn’t held accountable because the people who could have stopped him chose not to. Congress didn’t stand up to him. Courts could only slow him down. His supporters defended him no matter what. And the country got so overwhelmed by the constant chaos that a lot of folks just tuned out.

The Constitution is only as strong as the people willing to defend it. And for too long, too many leaders chose silence over responsibility, comfort over courage, and loyalty to a man over loyalty to the country. That’s how we ended up with a president who could say he was defending the Constitution while breaking it — and walk away without consequences.

And that brings us to the real question:
Where did we fail — and what should have happened instead?

The hard truth is this: Trump didn’t get away with crossing constitutional lines because the Constitution is weak. He got away with it because the people who were supposed to enforce it didn’t. We failed when Congress — the one branch built to keep a president in check — chose silence over backbone. They were supposed to say, “You can’t do that.” Instead, they looked the other way because they were scared of losing their seats or getting blasted by his base. We failed when we let chaos become normal. Trump moved so fast, broke so many norms at once, that people stopped reacting. Accountability can’t survive when the country is exhausted. We failed when loyalty to a man became more important than loyalty to the Constitution. A healthy democracy needs supporters who can say, “I like you, but this is wrong.” Too many people refused to do that. We failed when watchdogs, inspectors general, and truth‑tellers were pushed out — and Congress didn’t protect them. Those guardrails exist for moments exactly like this. They should have been reinforced, not dismantled. I always say that one party, the Republican Party, put their political party before the Constitution and their oath to that document.

So what should have happened?

Congress should have stood up to him the first time he crossed a constitutional line — not the tenth. The Justice Department should have been insulated from political pressure, not bent to it. Courts should have been backed by lawmakers, not left to fight alone.
Whistleblowers should have been protected, not punished. And the public should have demanded accountability instead of getting numb to the noise.

Most of all, the people sworn to defend the Constitution should have actually defended it — even when it was inconvenient, even when it was risky, even when it meant standing up to someone their own voters loved.

That’s where we failed.
And that’s what has to change if we want to make sure this never happens again.

Shut up and do something.

If I had to boil down the message of last year’s Hunger for Action protest to just five words, this two-point proposal for action captures it quite potently. Through my chosen protest actions during last year’s 22-day hunger strike and silent sit-in, I was figuratively blasting this message at my fellow Americans with a metaphorical megaphone. Turns out such a method is not actually effective, which in hindsight, feels a whole lot more obvious. I really do have a knack for learning hard lessons through the humbling experiences wrought by my own flawed decisions. However, the message of that protest still remains a core component of writings to my fellow Americans to this day. Its call to action underpins all of the following articles:

Anti-Trump & Pro-Democracy Media: You Are Failing the Public You Claim to Serve
#1: An Open Letter to Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor in Chief of The Atlantic
#2: An Open Letter to Allison Gill (Mueller, She Wrote) and Jack Hopkins (Jack Hopkins Now)
#3: An Open Letter to Ezra Klein, Author and New York Times Political Commentator and Journalist

The Problem with a Political Academy Awards Show
It is not what celebrities say - It is what they (do not) do

What is the Price of Freedom?
Exploring Civic Responsibility in Fascist America

Where Are the Calls for Impeachment and Removal?
Why Congress Treats Impeachment as Taboo and What We Must Do About It

Want to save yourself some reading time? The takeaway from all of the above articles can be summarized by these five little words: Shut up and do something. I know this is harsh. I wish I had the patience to deliver this message kindly and compassionately. But folks, hundreds of thousands of people have already needlessly died, with millions more expected, as a result of the Trump regime (not counting COVID deaths or anything else under Trump 1.0). And that’s only covering USAID’s illegal destruction… As a country and society, Americans are responsible for everything this regime does. I use harsh language because I am beyond desperate for We the People to wake up to what we are allowing to happen in our name and finally take a stand against it. This is why DOOR joined the Removal Coalition: We need an activist movement committed to truly bold action. Far less talkers. Fewer still observers. And millions more activists. This is also why, in the spirit of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, DOOR plans a bold act of irreproachably peaceful civil disobedience on/about 1 July (Author’s Note: Strongly recommend watching all three linked videos in this sentence in full). Borrowing from Jessica Denson, Founder of the Removal Coalition, we have too many diagnosticians in modern society. I don’t know about you, but I do not need even one more person telling me, “Did you see what DJT did today?! It is so bad, and I am the best person to tell you why! Subscribe today!” I get it. I have gotten it for well over a year. Now? I would prefer for every last one of these diagnosticians, whether they be politicians, journalists, influencers, intellectuals, celebrities, or everyday Americans, to just… shut up and do something.

Please do not rush to judgment about what it is that I mean by this statement just because of my offensive rhetoric. There are many ways to, “Do something.” It could be peacefully protesting in the streets outside Delaney Hall (hoping and praying this remains peaceful, which is absolutely vital to the success of civil resistance). It could be getting tear-gassed and pepper sprayed as a sitting U.S. Senator. It could be taking a stand against unconstitutional assaults on the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of the press (mad props to Status Coup News). It could be suing the government. It could be boycotting corporations enabling the regime. It could be organizing support for Courage Candidates that will tirelessly pursue impeachment, conviction, and removal starting on Day One in office. It could be donating to activist organizations credibly challenging the legitimacy of the regime right now. Somewhat paradoxically to the subtitle of this article, it could even be talking to family and friends that support the regime and helping them leave MAGA, or persistently promoting activist organizations like Fight Against Fascism on social media. I propose these and other ways to get involved as the “Six C’s” of everyday action against the regime in The Grind (Part Two). There are truly so many options to choose from to reject fascism…however, the “Cynical Social Media Warrior” is about as far from advancing the cause of democracy as one can get.

Who are Cynical Social Media (CSM) warriors?

Here are some illustrative examples of CSM warriors that have crossed my path:

· Bluesky User #1 who accused me of “fucking empty platitudes” in response to my Memorial Day post because I mentioned celebration (this user did not believe celebration actually honors the sacrifices of fallen heroes on a day like Memorial Day) and because I (rightly) implied that fallen service members in every previous conflict, including Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, died protecting our freedoms.

· Bluesky User #2 who condescendingly lectured me in response to this post, explaining to me that Americans have to be patient in the pursuit of removing the regime because politics is a game of tug of war advanced in inches, not all at once. Upon suggesting that his patience was born of privilege because his life was not on the line, he blocked me.

· Bluesky User #3 who talked down to me about impeachment and removal in response to the same post as above, emphasizing “They do not have the votes” with periods and line breaks in between each word, as if I did not understand basic math and somehow his post was going to help me get there. When I asserted unapologetically that his logic was a self-fulfilling prophecy and just obeying in advance, he blocked me.

· Bluesky User #4 who interjected that he refused to read any of my articles (which are all free) because they are hosted on Substack, which also hosts far-right influencers, therefore both I and Substack support Nazis.

· Bluesky User #5 who accused me of “circular firing squad” tactics for daring to call out Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin for their lukewarm “activism” that fails to even make concrete demands that credibly challenge this regime after well over a year of rampant corruption and deadly violence (an accusation I would happily retract the moment Indivisible National stops stumping for impotent politicians and demands immediate impeachment and removal).

· Bluesky User #6 who accused me of being ignorant and insensitive to the plight of Washington Post journalists laid off (as if this even ranks amongst the horrible things happening) because I had the audacity to suggest that perhaps the entire staff of Washington Post should abandon their current jobs in solidarity and build something new away from the influence of wildly complicit oligarch Jeff Bezos.

It is important to note that these CSM warriors actively picked a fight with me by initiating arguments in response to my posts. They could have much more easily just moved right along without responding if they did not like what I had to say. In a spectacular display of hypocrisy, after attacking me, Bluesky User #3 said I should have ignored him. Also, while some of these users were making fair points worthy of a respectful dialogue, Bluesky, especially with its 300-character limit, is not a platform designed for respectful dialogue. More to the point, there was nothing “respectful” about the way these users engaged with me in the first place. Same as most people, I tend to reciprocate the same energy I receive. Where I am met with respect, I respond in kind. Disrespect, if it receives any response at all, earns a response infused with my deserved ire. Most critically, though, as previously mentioned, the singular thing I find most contemptuous about CSM warriors is the altogether-absent conviction. If an activist debates me about supporting Indivisible, or the immorality of Substack’s hosting practices, or the problems with past American wars, or the difficulty of achieving the votes necessary to impeach and remove this regime, or the hardships every day Americans are facing, including Washington Post journalists, my willingness to listen attentively to this person is directly proportionate to my perception of the individual’s conviction. For the activist truly living their values, literally taking to the streets or investing huge sums of time and energy supporting causes by volunteering with real-world actions, as much as I might not agree with this person, I will still always respect this person’s strength of character, embodied in their tangible commitments, and be willing to engage in a respectful dialogue with as much of an open mind as I am able to bring to bear. I might even weather insults in a debate with such an individual without response. CSM warriors, however, demand the same respect without lifting a finger off the keyboard to earn it. The entitlement alone invites ridicule regardless of the credibility of their position. It is made all the more absurd when CSM warriors use such vitriol in connection with virtue signaling that clearly demonstrates an inability to see the forest for the trees (this relates to my article on the importance of compromise in civil resistance).

The irony of my criticism of the disrespect of CSM warriors, especially given I started this article with, “Shut up and do something,” is definitely not lost on me. What sets me apart from the CSM warriors, though, is that I believe in my message enough to risk and sacrifice everything to share it with my fellow Americans, critics be damned. Contrasting me with these cynics, they do not appear to believe in anything enough to risk and sacrifice for it. They consider themselves entitled to the world they believe should exist solely by means of its inherent virtue. It should be, therefore, it should be. It comes as no surprise that a perspective grounded in this tautology has led to such cynicism. They are expecting the world to deliver to them the reality they believe they deserve simply because of its righteousness. However, the world has never worked like this. Every “right” that humans have, generations before have risked and sacrificed to secure it and protect it. Orienting yourself with your environment as if this is no longer true is the height of folly. Therefore, there exists perhaps no group of individuals who most need to hear my message of “shut up and do something” than CSM warriors, and unfortunately, no group of individuals less likely to hear it.

The point of this article is not to call out CSM warriors for wasting my time. It is to call out CSM warriors for wasting all of our time. We all have so much to do to successfully remove the regime, with countless lives lost for every day longer that it takes… CSM warriors are not picking a fight with any of us to advance the cause, but to make themselves feel better by “proving” themselves more virtuous, more intelligent, more knowledgeable, or more devoted with nothing but…keystrokes. Like keystrokes alone have ever been enough to change the world, and worse still, narcissistically imagining theirs will be the exception. So for them, I have the least amount of patience of anyone. Our time as activists is far more valuable than to waste a moment longer on CSM warriors than necessary to determine that is what they are. So my recommendation? Remove them from the conversation: Block them in order to continue the vital work. And for any readers wondering whether or not you might be a CSM warrior, the surest way of truly proving you are not? Shut up and do something.

Keep resisting.

There’s a simple promise every top official in this country makes before they get the keys to power. It’s not fancy. It’s not complicated. It’s not partisan. It’s the same oath for Democrats, Republicans, and everyone in between:
Support and defend the Constitution.
Bear true faith and allegiance to it.
Faithfully discharge the duties of the office.
That’s it. That’s the whole deal.

The oath is supposed to be the guardrail that keeps our leaders honest. It’s supposed to be the line they don’t cross. It’s supposed to be the thing that reminds them they work for the country — not for themselves, not for their party, not for their donors, and not for whatever political fight they’re trying to win that week. But here’s the truth many Americans feel in their gut:

The oath doesn’t mean much anymore. Not because the words changed, but because the system that’s supposed to enforce it has fallen apart. And you can see that clearly when you look at the three people who sit at the very top of our government: The President, the Vice President, and the Speaker of the House. All three took an oath to the Constitution. All three promised to defend it. And all three took actions that broke that promise. Not one of them has been held accountable.

The President: When Power Becomes More Important Than the Constitution.
The President’s oath is the only one written word‑for‑word in the Constitution. The Founders wanted it that way. The President’s oath is the only one that says to “preserve, protect, and defend” the Constitution. They wanted the President to have no wiggle room, no “interpretation,” no excuses. The job is simple: protect the Constitution and faithfully execute the laws. The oath is not symbolic. It creates real duties:
• Legal duty — violating the oath can justify impeachment
• Moral duty — the president must act for the nation, not a faction
• Constitutional duty — the president must enforce laws even when politically costly
• National duty — the president must protect the country from threats, including internal ones

But when the 2020 election didn’t go his way, the President didn’t protect the Constitution — he went after it. He pressured state officials to “find votes.” He pushed the Justice Department to declare the election corrupt even after his own advisers told him there was no evidence. He leaned on the Vice President to do something the Constitution doesn’t allow. He encouraged Congress to reject certified electoral votes even after every state had signed off and every court had ruled.
These aren’t rumors. These aren’t internet theories. These are documented actions that Americans can look up for themselves.

You can argue about motives. You can argue about whether he believed what he was saying. But the oath doesn’t care about motives. The oath cares about actions. And when a President tries to overturn a lawful election, he’s not defending the Constitution — he’s attacking the very process the Constitution created. And what happened to him for it? Nothing. No conviction. No consequences. No accountability. The system that’s supposed to enforce the oath shrugged.

The Vice President: Loyalty to a Person Instead of the Constitution
The Vice President’s job is smaller, but the oath requires the same loyalty to our Republic. Support the Constitution. Defend it. Uphold it. And when the time comes, preside over the Senate and help ensure the peaceful transfer of power. But instead of defending the Constitution, the Vice President, who was a Senator at the time, backed the President’s efforts to overturn the election. He supported challenges to certified results. He promoted claims that courts and state officials had already rejected. He encouraged Congress to reject lawful electoral votes. He participated in pressure campaigns aimed at state legislatures. Again, these are documented actions. People can disagree about whether he meant well or whether he believed what he was saying. But the oath doesn’t say “support the Constitution unless your boss wants something else.” It doesn’t say “defend the Constitution unless your party is pressuring you.” It doesn’t say “faithfully discharge your duties unless it’s politically inconvenient.”

The oath is the oath. And what happened to him for breaking it? Nothing. No censure. No investigation. No accountability. The system looked the other way.

Speaker Mike Johnson: The Oath Doesn’t Stop at the House Door
The Speaker of the House is second in line for the presidency. That means his oath matters just as much as the President’s. Maybe more. He’s supposed to protect the House as an institution. He’s supposed to defend the Constitution. He’s supposed to make sure Congress functions the way the Founders intended. But Mike Johnson didn’t do that. He was the architect of the House Republican amicus brief that tried to throw out millions of votes in four states. He pushed legal theories that conservative judges rejected as unconstitutional. He voted to overturn certified electoral votes even after the Capitol was attacked. He refused a lawful congressional subpoena. And now, as Speaker, he uses his power to shield members who engaged in the same behavior. That’s not defending the Constitution. That’s not protecting Congress. That’s not faithfully discharging the duties of the office.

And what consequences did he face? None. He was promoted. If that doesn’t tell you the system is broken, nothing will.

The War in Iran: A New Layer of Oath‑Breaking
If the election crisis showed how these leaders broke their oath at home, the war in Iran shows how they’re breaking it abroad. The Constitution is crystal clear: Only Congress can declare war. The President can’t start one on his own. The Vice President can’t cheerlead it. And the Speaker can’t hide from it. Yet here we are — spending billions of dollars a day on a conflict that Congress never formally authorized.

If the President orders sustained military strikes without congressional approval, that conflicts with:
• the Take Care Clause
• the War Powers Act
• the oath to preserve and defend the Constitution


If the Vice President supports or defends unauthorized military action, he’s not upholding the Constitution — he’s helping sidestep it.

And if the Speaker refuses to hold votes, refuses to hold hearings, refuses to exercise oversight, and refuses to use Congress’s power of the purse, then he’s abandoning the very job the Constitution gives him. That’s not a partisan argument. That’s a constitutional argument.

Then there’s the civilian casualty issue. If the war includes large‑scale civilian deaths, strikes on schools or hospitals, or the weakening of civilian‑protection offices, then all three leaders have a legal and moral obligation to act. If they don’t, they’re not “faithfully executing” anything.

The Founders put war powers in Congress for a reason: to prevent exactly this kind of unilateral, unaccountable conflict. But today, the President acts alone, the Vice President backs him, and the Speaker looks the other way. That’s not how the Constitution is supposed to work.
That’s not how the oath is supposed to work.

The Real Problem: The System of Accountability Is Broken
This is the part MAGA voters, moderates, independents — everyone — can understand: The people at the top break the rules, and nothing happens to them.

The Founders assumed:
• Congress would guard its power
• Courts would enforce limits
• Presidents would fear overstepping
• Voters would punish oath‑breakers

None of that is happening.

Instead:
• Presidents start wars without Congress
• Vice Presidents defend it
• Speakers refuse to hold votes
• Courts say “this is a political question.”
• Voters are kept in the dark

The oath has become a performance. The Constitution has become optional. Accountability has become nonexistent. And the war in Iran is the clearest example yet.

The Bottom Line
All three — the President, the Vice President, and the Speaker — took actions that violated the oath they swore. And the fact that none of them faced consequences tells you everything you need to know about how broken our system of accountability has become.
The oath is supposed to protect the country. But it can’t protect anything if the people who swear it — and the institutions that are supposed to enforce it — treat it like a suggestion instead of a promise.

And that’s the real danger we’re living with now.

“If everyone accuses incorrectly, then the game ends and everyone loses.”

Have you ever played Clue, or ClueDo for my UK friends? If you have not played the game, or even if you have, please watch this very brief How-To Guide as a tee-up to some of the points I will make in my discussion.

Let me tell you a secret. I love board games, and Clue is one of my absolute favorites. I find it so exciting, misleading my friends and family with false suggestions and using a combination of psychology, deductive reasoning, and inductive logic to arrive at the correct accusation before anyone else and win the game. In Clue, there are two types of actions associated with cards: Suggestions and accusations (see 2:15 of How-To Guide). Suggestions are harmless: If you are wrong, someone will prove it to you with an associated card. Accusations are dangerous: If you are wrong, you lose – full stop.

I have never really considered the possibility of throwing out wild suggestions, or even sillier, a phantom accusation disconnected from the construct of the game. I can imagine it…

Me: “I accuse Orphan Onyx, in the Nursery, with the PACIFIER!”

Friend #1: “What are you talking about?”

Friend #2: “None of those cards are in the game…”

Friend #3: “Whelp, you lose. Nice try, thanks for playing.”

Me: “CONSPIRACY! And you’re ALL in on it! Who replaced the cards? Removed Orphan Onyx and the pacifier? Reprinted the board and instruction manual? The 3-year-old orphan stands to inherit everything with a newly-drafted will. How can you let Onyx get away with this?! His heart is as cold, hard, and black as the stone pacifier he used to murder our beloved Mr. Boddy! I have evidence of the will that I found right here…on the INTERNET!”

With the right group of friends, in the right circumstances, I think this would be a lot of laughs…But what if I was serious? My friends would probably think I was crazy. They might even try to have me committed. If I was resolutely convinced of it all, accusing my friends of betraying my trust, they would be right to be deeply concerned about me.

In the above example, my false beliefs would be immediately, undeniably clear. The game’s rules leave no room for the assertion of such an “alternate” possibility as the one described. Unfortunately, in real life, the truth is not so obvious and incorruptible as in a game. And on social media, there is no righteous arbiter of truth. We the People all have to do the treacherous work of sorting fact from fiction. I talk about tactics and strategies for these labors at length in The Grind (Part One). The point of this article is far more specific: To zero in on the harms of broadcasting unfounded conspiracy speculation out into the world through social media platforms. This topic also has a complimentary relationship with a point made about social media in The Grind (Part Two) – the importance of being deliberate.

Some nefarious media entities like Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan have long since figured out how to weaponize and monetize conspiracy speculation. Many of us are familiar with the “Just asking questions” framework of propagandists that enjoy the attention garnered by their provocative “suggestions” while maintaining plausible deniability to the very real, very significant damage that their insincere, self-serving suggestions cause. The real world is not at all like the game of Clue. In the real world, there is not really much difference between a suggestion and an accusation, except that an accusation is a statement of fact that can be reasonably disproven whereas a suggestion is frequently posed as a question, which can be insidiously noncommittal and manipulative. For this reason, a suggestion is actually more dangerous than an accusation.

Author’s note: Please read the “Nobody Who Says They’re ‘Just Asking Questions” Actually Wants an Answer” article by Joan Westenberg that is linked in the above paragraph in full – it is brilliant and critically relevant to this article.

Bad actors aside, there are many ordinary people, just like you and me, who innocently make the mistake of conspiracy speculation from a place of genuine suspicion, albeit often misplaced. In these instances, there is no malice, manipulation, or intent to deceive. In a media space flooded with disinformation noise, it has become challenging to know who or what to trust. Sometimes we just get it wrong despite authentic, worthy attempts to get it right. This is only natural and impossible to avoid completely. Who is guilty? Johnny Depp or Amber Heard (or both or neither)? Same question about Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni? I have my suspicions, same as anyone else even vaguely familiar with these cases. However, I will be keeping my suspicions to myself for two reasons. First, the truth of these cases has no bearing or relevance to my personal life, so I do not actually care much. Second, and more to the point, I just do not know enough about either of these cases to make suggestions or accusations on these topics. So what purpose does it serve for me to do so?

At last, we arrive to the message behind this article. We often do not have the luxury to simply not care about a piece of nationally relevant news. In such instances, the first reason offered in the celebrity examples above is not responsibly available to us – we cannot just check out and not care. The second reason, however, especially as it pertains to social media, is absolutely crucial to keep in the forefront of our minds. Before posting anything about current events, especially if the events have any relationship to the health of our democratic republic, we need to ask ourselves if we can trust our own thoughts on what we intend to suggest or assert. Unlike Clue, both suggestions and accusations on social media are harmful. Social media is not a space well suited to just throw caution to the wind and suggest whatever first comes to mind, as we so frequently can in Clue. The moment we put out a post on social media, we immediately lose control over it. It gains a life of its own, whether we intend it to or not. Consequently, suspicion, no matter how rational or well-grounded, is inadequate cause on its own to make suggestions or accusations on social media. It takes little indeed for the seeds of suspicion to grow into rampant, baseless conspiracy speculation unsupported, or even countered, by widely-accepted, credible, and verified facts. Unlike Clue, where our friends will immediately correct our false assertions, social media often does the opposite: Many people out there are not only going to support a false belief…they, too, will broadcast it. On and on, so on and so forth, and before we know it…something like this.

Author’s note: Please watch the linked media report above in full.

We the People must be skeptical not just of the myriad news sources out there, but of ourselves. We must constantly challenge our own beliefs. First impressions should be viewed with immense skepticism, especially when strongly fueled by emotional responses. We are most susceptible to false beliefs that align with our existing values. This psychological vulnerability is easy for the conspiracist to exploit, and even makes us all a bit prone to become conspiracists ourselves. So before we put out that emotionally-gratifying conspiracy speculation (then feel the psychological need to defend it, doubling down on a mistaken belief), we should question whether we have enough credible evidence to support it in the first place. I have three closing recommendations:

1. We must be disciplined in our social media posts by not posting about current events without credible reporting or sources to back it up.

2. We must be deliberate by choosing to post about current events in a manner that purposefully advances the causes of truth and democracy.

3. We must be open to dialogue with people that challenge our positions, accepting it as an exercise in intellectual humility and an opportunity to be skeptical of our own beliefs.

I began this article with a quote from the end of the Clue How-To Guide: “If everyone accuses incorrectly, then the game ends and everyone loses.” This is one commonality between Clue and reality. One vital difference: When reality loses out to conspiracy, it’s not a game that is lost, but lives.

Keep resisting.