Author: tonihall805@outlook.com

Our nation is at that point in a marriage ceremony when the officiant asks, “If anyone has an objection to this union, speak now or forever hold your piece”. I have many objections to the lawlessness, the corruption, the recklessness, the incompetence, the deregulations, the revengeful attacks, the scapegoating, and the cruel policies that are beginning to destroy lives. But I feel like a voice crying in the wilderness. The silence is crazy! The fact is that corporate media outlets have been bullied into submission so few will report on the pain and suffering many are starting to endure. And just as disturbing is the reality that Republican lawmakers are either complicit or too terrified to oppose anything Trump and Musk decree no matter how horrific. And since Democrats are the minority party in both Houses, they are effectively powerless.

With the exception of a few courageous independent media voices (who are also being threatened), we hear very little about the government employees losing their jobs or the women dying in pregnancy, or the growing number of newborn deaths. We don’t hear much about infectious diseases (like Measles & TB) that are on the rise. We don’t hear the outcries of children being separated from their deported parents or the worries of farmers who can’t harvest their crops without migrant labor. We hear very few complaints about the rising cost of everything as inflation leaps upward as tariffs (and threats of tariffs) take effect. We hear nothing about the deaths of children who relied on food and healthcare from USAID nor the parents who mourn them. We see minimal coverage of the protests in the streets around the country. No corporate news outlet is talking about the Target boycott nor the board of director’s lawsuit against Target for mismanaging its rollback of DEI programs except through independent and social media.

Every day, we are inundated with executive order policy announcements accompanied by lies and exaggerated claims necessitating them, but we rarely hear the aftermath of the chaos, confusion and destruction they cause, nor do we learn the actual truth behind the cruelty at work. We know things are bad, but those whom we once trusted to represent us in Congress (House and Senate) are silent and helpless because we gave the Republicans, (who either serve or fear Trump), the majority. Their complicity or cowardness is allowing the spread of corruption and governmental destruction to feed the ego, pockets, and thirst for unchecked power among a few rich white men. Democrats can only complain and delay. The corporate media that we once trusted to inform us and hold people in power accountable have been bullied into silence.

The only branch of government that is holding on by a thread is the judicial branch. However, even federal judges are under threat by these thugs who have taken over our executive branch. Vance and Musk have advised Trump to simply ignore federal court rulings. They are waiting to see our reaction or lack thereof. And we all know that the Supreme Court has been compromised with stolen seats and ongoing corruption.

Another beacon on light are democratic governors. So far, they are resisting. However, the Trump Administration is threatening to withhold federal funding for disaster relief, public health, education, healthcare, research, and other vital needs if they refuse to fall in line. We will see how the struggle between the Constitutional guarantee of states’ rights and federal authority plays out. Blue states are donor states to the much poorer red states. There is definitely an argument to be made that we are now being taxed without representation because no one elected Elon Musk.

I’m painting a dire picture because the situation is dire. Trump is enjoying a 53% approval rating because ordinary citizens have no idea what is happening to our economic and social foundation because the corporate news media and social media algorithms have sidelined the alarms detailing the bad decisions, the lies, the corruption, the lawlessness and the human suffering. However, lived experiences like lost jobs, soaring food prices, loss of consumer protections, natural disasters without relief, the lack of access to healthcare, and inadequate public services can’t be hidden for long even if the media doesn’t report it. And this past week, no news outlet could hide the resignation of seven federal prosecutors who refused to follow a Department of Justice unethical order to dismiss legitimate corruption charges against mayor Eric Adams in exchange for Adam’s loyalty to Trump.

We are heading toward a crisis I never imagined possible in my lifetime. People are starting to suffer real pain in the name of “Making America Great Again” and their cries are largely going unreported and unheard. But it is not sustainable. History tells us that when the pain becomes too great, and the cries of the masses are met by callous disregard, the people with revolt. And, sadly, but predictably, the bloodshed of those responsible for their hardship will be welcomed.

We have a small window at this moment in time to object. I just hope enough of us are brave enough to do it.

I’m doing my part to sound the alarm. Trump and Musk, with the blessing or silence, of Republican lawmakers (who are in the majority), are quickly dismantling our Constitution, the rule of law, and our economic stability. Their goal is total domination and greed. They are willing to rule over ashes to feed their egos and fill their wallets just like rulers in other nations. They don’t care that this will leave survivors poor, powerless, and in pain until they revolt.

These men are spoiled toddlers craving adoration and out for revenge against anyone who defies them or tries to hold them accountable. They despise laws, decency, competent women, and people of color. They use bigotry against transgender people, immigrants, and people of color to distract their followers from their true motive to siege power and money. The uneducated bigots among us put these men in power because they thought they would inflict pain only on the people they hate and fear. They’re keeping that promise and doing much more. They are burning the entire country down and threatening our allies. As food prices quickly rise, these billionaires tell their followers that enduring the pain is their patriotic duty. Don’t be a fool!

There is still time to stop them. We must fight for everyone’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness before they illegally and systematically destroy every governmental mechanism that provides law and order, public health, economic stability, and education under the false premise of eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. Unfortunately, they have successfully bullied corporate media into submission, so that they can no longer be trusted to report the news accurately. And sadly, the Congressional Oversight Committee under Republican James Comer (chair) literally shut down any request for oversight this week in a despicable display of majority power. We the people cannot depend on our elected Republican representatives to represent us. They are either true believers in the Trump/Musk agenda or they are too cowardly to stand up for what is right, or they are in denial and hopeful that it’s not as bad as it seems. We are on our own.

Americans are only beginning to realize the danger and have started fighting back with lawsuits, boycotts, street protests, speeches, social media posts, political cartoons, independent journalism, whistle blowers, phone calls, emails, and letters like the one I wrote to Speaker Mike Johnson this week. I also wrote to my representative (a democrat), insisting that she fight louder and harder on our behalf. Personally, I concentrate on doing five things: 1) I donate to upcoming candidates for the mid-terms; 2) I donate to civil rights organizations for litigation efforts; 3) I email & write letters to representatives; 4) I use my social media presence to promote awareness and action even though the algorithm limits my views; and 5) I consume independent and publicly funded news media.

I share this particular letter to Speaker Johnson hoping it will inspire readers to join the fight in ways that make sense for them. At this point, doing nothing is the worst thing any one of us can do.

February 6, 2025

Dear Speaker Johnson,

It is abundantly clear from your public statements that you are not only complicit in the destruction of our country, but actively pursuing it. God, goodness, and the Constitution is nowhere to be seen in your plans.  All I see is cruelty and joy in the suffering of others.  Your Party’s apparent plans for the country will lead to deaths from disease, poisonings, and maternal complications and economic ruin for most Americans whom you were put into office to represent for the betterment of their lives. Instead, you are inflicting mass pain upon the innocent and vulnerable with your cruelty masquerading as care and righteousness.  No one is fooled except MAGA.  God and history will judge you harshly.  

Instead of giving more tax breaks to the wealthy, I suggest you start planning to use the few tax dollars you receive from “we the people” to build more cemeteries, orphanages, homeless shelters, and prisons. These are what will be needed because of your ruthless and thoughtless plans.

By design, your Party is putting destruction agents into place to destroy our healthcare, our environment, consumer protections, our education system, our infrastructure, law enforcement, scientific research, and basic human decency.  Clean air and water and a livable climate will quickly become a luxury of the past.  Women forced to have babies do not magically become good mothers.  Women in abusive marriages either die, run away or become murderers.  Nothing good will come from your plans. You can’t legislate gender or sexual orientation. Trump will bankrupt this country like he bankrupted his many businesses.  Your abdication of your oath is destroying this country and you lack the resources, trust of the people, and the ability to rebuild everything that is being destroyed. 

How many planes will crash?  How many bridges will collapse?  Who will be able to afford healthcare or home insurance? How many more maternal deaths?  How many sick newborns will die?  How many will die in the next pandemic?  How many communities will be destroyed by increasing climate disasters and lack the resources to rebuild?  How many citizens will be shot at school, on the streets, or in their homes?  How will our next generation receive a competitive education?  How will the elderly survive?  Who will join the military when veterans are mistreated?  Who is going to provide farm labor that feeds us? What government services will we be able to rely on?    

The insanity and lawlessness I’m seeing is not only frustrating but sad.  I feel like I’m watching Republicans gleefully destroy our credibility as a nation while also destroying actual people’s lives.  Trust Musk?  Trust Trump? You’ve got to be kidding!

History tells us that people who use their power to destroy others eventually are destroyed by the masses. I predict there will be violence against those who are responsible for the pain and suffering of the innocent and vulnerable.  I’m not a violent person, but many are when they get angry enough.  Something else to consider are those accustomed to using violence for righteous causes.  I suspect those FBI agents, CIA agents, law enforcement and veterans whom your policies are harming may not sit quietly as you destroy their careers and their lives.  And I can’t even begin to think of our former allies who now view this administration as a clear and present danger to their sovereignty and security.  

Do better.  The Congress is a co-equal branch of government created to represent the people of this nation, not bow down to a lawless and cruel toddler who thinks he’s a king. Stop abdicating your oversight duties and hold this administration accountable to our Constitution and our laws. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Juanita Hall

Friday, I made my last and final trip to Target (except for picking up my prescriptions at the CVS inside the Target). My husband and I have chosen to honor the call to boycott Target because of its public rollback of DEI initiatives in response to the White House pressure campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion measures. DEI programs are designed to open previously closed opportunities to women and minorities and to make the workplace a welcoming place for everyone. Other companies have also succumbed to the same pressure and have found themselves on the list of vendors to avoid. But it’s a difficult ask and I doubt removing convenient shopping options is good for consumer wallets in the long run. However, in the short run, it is imperative that we collectively make a point. I just wish black folks weren’t at the center of this boycott because we were not the only beneficiaries of DEI initiatives.

Few Americans recognize that DEI initiatives benefitted women, poor people, veterans, LGBTQ people, religious minorities, people with disabilities, in addition to people of color. Beyond opening up employment and promotion opportunities to people who were often excluded from the applicant pool, DEI initiatives gave us everything from private nursing rooms for new mothers to gender neutral bathrooms for transgender individuals, to a wider range of make-up skin colors on the shelves, to reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. At many school and workplace cafeterias, DEI simply made hot sauce and salsa available. But as I stated in previous posts, white men viewed opportunities for others and the expansion of comfort as a threat to their established culture and their exclusive entitlement to the best employment opportunities. I predicted the backlash.

So, now we need a course correction of our own. First, we need to educate the public as to what DEI actually is and who benefits from it. Second, we need to make it clear that plane crashes or wildfire disasters are not the result of DEI, but “human error” and that no race or gender or sexual orientation is exempt from making mistakes. Third, we need to make it clear that we refuse to condone the “good ole days” when white men hired and promoted their friends without regard to qualifications. Forth, we need to loudly praise the competence of those doing their jobs well and call for the removal of folks who are not. Fifth, job candidates need to be ready to sue for employment discrimination whenever it clearly exists. Sixth, employees need to ban together to demand working conditions that meet their needs and be ready to protest or strike if needed. Seventh, consumers need to request products that suit their needs and at the same time support the workforce by boycotting companies that are reverting to unfair hiring practices and poor labor conditions. And finally, we need brave whistleblowers to sound the alarm when things aren’t fair or equitable, going to independent media outlets because corporate and social media have bowed the knee to this Administration.

The war against freedom, fairness, decency, and equitable treatment throughout this country is now in full swing. It is going to take all of us working together to win this war against white “Christian” nationalism and the myth of white male supremacy. We must win in the courts, so please join me in donating to civil rights organizations like the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Democracy Forward, and the ACLU. We must also win in the court of public opinion using the creative arts and the art of persuasion. We must relentlessly pressure Republican lawmakers to return their loyalty to our Constitution (not Donald Trump) with phone calls, emails, letters, and protests outside their doors. We must pressure social media outlets to post our concerns by flooding their platforms with our opinions on current affairs instead of posting photos of our trips, food, and cats so they have no choice but to allow posts of consequence to be seen. Right now, they are burying these posts, but if there are too few trivial posts, they will be forced to post other things because their advertisers require eyeballs. The same is true for television media. Turn the channel when they normalize the current dangers or decline to report the actual news.

Quick story. I walked into my nail salon this past Thursday (a few days ago) and Fox News was on the television. I told the owner that I refuse to watch Fox News because they engage in lies and fearmongering. I informed her that Fox had to pay millions of dollars for lying to their viewers. I reiterated that I wouldn’t watch a news program that knowingly tells lies. Without my specifically asking, she immediately had an employee turn to something else. The customer sitting beside me whispered, “I agree” and then thanked me. I replied that I was no longer going to tiptoe around the truth of what is happening and that our collective timidity is what got us to the dangerous and ridiculous situation we are in today.

We must face the reality that the people who are destroying lives are not timid. They are loud and bold and willing to lie, rewrite history, cheat and steal. They are ruthless and cruel. And they have demonstrated since January 20th that they are willing to disregard the Constitution and break laws to do wreak havoc on the nation, our allies, and the environment. Thank goodness they have also shown us just how incompetent they actually are.

The point is that we learn from physics that an object in motion tends to stay in motion until a stronger force stops it. Together, through collective and sustained action, we must be that stronger force.

As a person who worked closely with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives since the late 1990s as a volunteer diversity trainer and eventually as the first Chief Diversity Officer at a university, I recognized and sounded the alarm for years that a white male back lash was coming. My cautious warnings about over-reach were often muted by short-sighed overly-enthusiast folks with louder vindictive voices. I understood that white men in power were not going to sit idly by and have the power and privileged position they enjoyed for years stripped away from them for the sake of “fairness”. In America, the moral argument always ends at the pocketbook. I recognized that excluding and often villainizing white men as oppressors and making them feel attacked and discriminated against because positions they were once entitled to based solely on their “male whiteness” were now being given to “qualified” women or minorities wasn’t going to last. I knew it. And now, in retirement, I am being proven right.

In my doctoral dissertation, I described how the system of cronyism elevated white people to positions of authority based solely on their social class connections, not their actual qualifications. That system never completely disappeared. However, the introduction of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at least required that people with the authority to hire and promote at least consider others who might be the best person for the job based on actual merit and experience as opposed to social comfort and connections. We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” That is how white men operated for years to the exclusion of women and minorities from opportunities to excel. Because of undercover “sponsorships”, many times women and minorities didn’t even know certain jobs existed. At the University, I watched white men actually create positions out of thin air for other white men who needed a job.

At the root of the today’s problem, however, was a calculated widespread rumor and now belief that women and persons of color cannot actually possess skills, knowledge, and competence for high level positions of leadership. After all, didn’t the country make concerted efforts to ensure minority schools were severely underfunded and women were discouraged by bullying and sexual intimidation to stop these people from acquiring the exceptional requirements for good jobs? However, the truly ambitious and intelligent few mustered the courage and energy to overcome the obstacles to their utter dismay.

I’ve felt that dismay personally every time a master’s level student walked into my classroom and did a double take. I could almost hear their cognitive dissonance, “How is she the professor”. Or the time, many years ago when I told an old acquaintance that I worked at the University, and she immediately assumed that I must be a secretary. I politely informed her that my mother would turn over in her grave if I got all this education just to become a secretary (now administrative assistant). I know women and people of color who are doctors and attorneys and scientists and pilots all face similar assumptions about their qualifications despite their education, experience, and accomplishments. We saw it in this presidential election. Harris was fully qualified, widely experienced, and notably competent, but many people, particularly white males and older white females couldn’t believe it nor accept it. They assumed the lying, sex-abusing felon who bankrupted six businesses and defrauded contractors, banks, and the government was more qualified to be president.

So, it is not surprising to me that the Chief Villain (Trump) has halted diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the federal government and is pushing private industry and universities to do the same. His is attempting to reverse anti-discrimination laws and re-open the doors for the kind of cronyism we see playing out in his cabinet nominations. They are people whom he likes on a social level because they will be loyal to him. With the exception of Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, his nominees don’t even have the knowledge or requisite qualifications for the positions they are being recommended for. Some, like JKF, Jr. are even dangerous. But with our cowardly senators, it does no good to cry over spilled milk. Instead, I’m interested in protecting and advancing folks in the midst of this storm.

My advice to parents of black and brown youth is to make sure you and your children are highly educated and highly skilled and prepared to leave the country if necessary. Keep your young people off the streets as much as possible as police will be looking to arrest them and confine them to “for-profit” prisons. I believe the plan is to utilize prisoners as cheap labor to industries that will desperately need laborers when mass deportations take effect. Already, 75% of orange pickers didn’t show up for work in Kern County California this past week for fear of being rounded up by ICE. That leaves fruit on the vine to rot. That means a shortage of fruit on grocery shelves and much higher prices. Americans will demand lower prices, and they will be happy to utilize prison labor (legalized slavery) when milk prices, produce, and meat prices skyrocket because of labor shortages. The need for labor will make black and brown young adults targets for arrest and imprisonment. Perhaps these are the “black jobs” Trump really wants us to do.

As for the educated and skilled among us, I have fewer worries because employers will always need people to get the job done. Be unreplaceable. We absolutely must invest in the education of our boys and girls now or they will literally lose their freedom in the future. I’m for taking our creativity and hard work and putting it into new businesses of our own. However, history has shown us that white people in this country are prone to envy and are willing to destroy our prosperous businesses and communities without much provocation. Envy is a powerful emotion. So, we must be wise and follow the example of the Asians who study hard, diligently do their work, and quietly accumulate wealth.

In other words, we must fly under the radar this time by integrating into diverse communities, not the old model of segregation that makes us an easy target. Choose neighborhoods with excellent schools and low crime rates where the property values increase. Let’s invest in and support each other, not tear each other down. To my fellow grandparents, aunties and uncles, cousins, and God parents, I say we must double our investment in the children in our extended families with our time and our treasure to ensure they have everything they need to grow up healthy, strong, and capable. Let’s keep our prosperity quiet and not be flashy about it. Flashiness only makes us a target. Leave the flashiness to the rappers and athletes and entertainers. The rest of us need to be serious about saving and investing for the future rather than spending our money in their stores. The time for courage, self-reliance and diligence is now.

In closing, I must acknowledge with certainty that this current government is against us. White supremacy and White “Christian” Nationalists have an agenda that is harmful to women, people of color and other minorities. They are literally following the Nazi step by step playbook. They’ve secured the media, banned books, rolled back rights, found scapegoats in trans people and immigrants and JD Vance characterized college professors as “enemies”. It all sounds so dire. But I also believe in God’s promise that no weapon formed against us will prosper. History has shown us that it always takes an ugly struggle to defeat oppression if we allow it to go too far. So, before it gets any worse, the time to fight hard for our family’s future is now. Do not look away. Do not be silent. Do not agree in advance. Do not give in to the exhaustion their assault is causing. Instead, join the fight by first ensuring your family is protected and then support efforts to oppose this evil agenda.

Silence is consent. In ways that make sense you, be sure to make your voice heard. Remember that evil persists when good men (and women) do nothing. Personally, I choose to write letters to government leaders and support decent candidates. I encourage people with pens to write letters or send emails if writing is the way you communicate your needs, objections, and desires to decision makers in our government. Others might prefer phone calls, creating artwork, making songs, or marching (like the ones yesterday). Right now, the Republican threat to withhold funding to help the victims of the Southern California fires is on my mind. And I’m speaking up. I hope you will too. If you choose to write to Speaker Johnson, the address is: 568 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington DC 20515-1804. Below is a copy of my letter to Speaker Mike Johnson that I sent on January 14, 2025. I hope it inspires you.

January 14, 2025

Dear Speaker Johnson,

You, Trump, and the Republican Party are not invisible to God, to the world, to historians, and most importantly to our children.  Your constant hypocrisy, lack of empathy, lack of compassion, lies, false accusations, embrace of lawlessness, and cruelty are evident to us all.  You seek political power and money above decency and service to the most vulnerable among us and above citizens who have lost everything to natural disasters, including to the unpresented fires in Southern California.

As a lifetime taxpayer and resident of California, I was appalled at your comments on national television threatening to attach conditions on aide to people who have lost everything in these fires.  California pays more in federal taxes than most other states and we are aware of the fact that we are a donor state to poor red states like yours.  It is unfair and indecent to suggest that aid for our natural disaster should have conditions when other states do not.  Our leadership may not be perfect, but they are competent and have been doing what they could to prepare.  They have been working tirelessly since the fires.  Unlike some ridiculous vocal members in your Party who believe we can control the rain, we can’t.  The fact that it hasn’t rained in eight months and that we couldn’t turn on the rain during this fire when the helicopters and planes were grounded because of wind is proof of that.  Tell her to shut up.

And no, looting is not now, nor has it ever been legal in our state.  So many lies that mislead people and only add fuel to the fire!

Furthermore, there is no city in the world that would have enough water in neighborhood fire hydrants to put out the vast number of structure fires in winds of up to 100 miles per hour.  Again, the helicopters and planes that we rely on to drop water couldn’t fly at the peak of these winds and so we were helpless. The electricity was out in most areas, and it is needed for pumping water.  With climate change, our fire season is now year-round and we have been working to address the problem for years. There are more facts you should have been informed of regarding our many preparations prior to these fires before you run your mouth on television trying to place blame.  Your comments should have been limited to compassion for American communities and praise for first responders and volunteers in addition to a commitment to help.  

Living in California, we are always aware of the fire danger and people are good about clearing forestry close to their homes.  However, that makes no difference when hurricane force winds send embers flying in all directions for miles.   

You and your Party members should be ashamed of yourselves for your false accusations, lack of understanding, and especially your lack of compassion for the victims of a disaster caused by the very climate change your Party keeps denying and therefore refuses to address.

Jesus said that we will know a tree by the fruit it bears.  So, the fruit I see on your tree is all poisonous.  You claim to be a Christian, but I see nothing of the teachings of Jesus in your words, actions and policies. Where is your care for the “least of these”?  I see you for who you are.  But more importantly, God is watching you.  History is watching you. And our children are watching you.  Do better by our Constitution, the rule of law, and the citizens of this country.  Right now, you and your Party are failing us.  You have sworn allegiance to a man who is hell bent on destroying our country from within with lies, false hoods, cruelty, bullying, lawlessness and the appointment of incompetent/unqualified people to his Cabinet.  Too many Americans voted for him because he tapped into their worse instincts and fears based in racism, homophobia, xenophobia and a bunch of lies and false promises. 

I’ve said this before, Congress is a separate but equal branch of government. Get up the courage to do your job responsibly!  All I see these days are a bunch of cowards afraid to stand up for what is just and what is right and what is good.  Your loyalty is sorely misplaced at present, but you can and must do better for the future of our country, starting with providing the much-needed aid to the victims of the fires in Southern California.   

Sincerely,

Dr. Juanita Hall

Voting Citizen of the United States

At my core, I’m a person who wants to enable those who are willing to put in the time and effort it takes to improve human lives. This means that I’m a highly empathetic observer, an educator, and a communicator. I’m lucky to have found my purpose early enough in life to enjoy working with university students, faculty, and other colleagues to solve problems during my 25 years in higher education. I realized early in life that I liked to put systems in place to make things fair. I continue to choose friends who prefer order over chaos and productivity over laziness. I came to understand that I am most attracted to people who not only have ambition, but who have good character, intelligence, energy and the tenacity to push forward. I harbor an often-silent distain for the selfishly ambitious who willingly step on others to get ahead. I’ve seen too much of that in my life and career and my solution until now has been to distance myself from those people. However, with regards to our political leadership, silence only becomes consent that further empowers their horrific dealings. I consider it a gift that I easily recognize the desirable traits in people, and I joyfully become of service to them as a sounding board, counselor, cheerleader, mentor, and sponsor.

Through this blog, I not only report what I’m observing in the world, but my response to it, hoping that others are inspired to respond in ways that will be helpful to them. That said, I have a few concerns for the future of our young people if voting Americans aren’t able to access the reliable information needed to make reasonable decisions.

My greatest fear is that our media outlets have been hijacked by powerful rich white men whose agenda is to re-assert white male supremacy and white male rule in every sector of American life. They are attempting to take control over every narrative, including science, social relationships, healthcare, crime rates, the economy, and climate change. They have the ability to demonize countries and entire groups of people, leading to wars and discrimination. We already saw how right-wing media convinced the country that young black males presented a threat, leading to police brutality, erroneous arrests, harsher sentencing, and incarceration. Recently, we saw how Trump used the media to turn migrants into criminals to be feared and rounded up like animals. We see how Republicans use the media to turn transgender women into threats against women in bathrooms, sports, and children’s identity development.

We are seeing a right-wing takeover of media outlets at every turn. The corporate media, once motivated by profits through clicks and views, is now also fearful of reprisals from the incoming administration if they cross Trump. Social media and corporate news media have ceased robust fact-checking and are actively promoting the voices of those who question the aptitude and leadership of women and people of color as DEI hires despite their resumes. I was shocked to hear the fire chief of Los Angeles being called incompetent because she was a woman. Trump is continuously given platforms to literally lie about the leadership’s response to the Los Angeles area fires, and the media aired his blatant lies and unsubstantiated blame claims with minimal rebuttal.

In response to unchecked media attacks on DEI, companies are rolling back the DEI initiatives that gave opportunities to talented job seekers from diverse backgrounds, including women. In the coming years, our corporate media outlets will be no different from the propaganda mills in China, Russia, and North Korea. The voices of those who speak the truth will be effectively silenced or greatly minimized through algorithms designed to weed out all voices of dissent. Real problems like mass shootings, climate disasters, and pandemic deaths can be easily covered up when media are compelled to simply not report certain things.

This is quickly becoming a problem for all of us. Women, immigrants, environmentalist, people of color, and especially LGBTQ folks are in danger of being demonized at the whim of powerful white men who want to preserve white male domination. The answer is to not be silenced and to demand journalistic integrity. We can support independent news outlets and journalists who refuse to be compromised. We can sue media outlets, like Fox, again for misinformation or for failing to report the actual news. We must continue to sue men, like Rudy Guliani, who defame others. We must support civil rights organizations and their attorneys who will stand up for our civil rights. The next few years will demand our attention, our voices, and our dollars.

My second concern is for young women. Despite becoming more educated than their male counterparts in recent years (which is a problem), we’re watching in real time the push to return women to traditional roles as wives and mothers by the most powerful white men in our country. Raising up men by suppressing women is not the best thing for humanity. Talent and innovation are not found in one gender. Both girls and boys need to be raised to reach their full potential. This requires unconditional love and a collective commitment to invest in their education and character development.

Musk and others claim to be concerned with the low birth rates in the country, but that is only a front for their fears of losing white male domination. They have made having children undesirable under the current circumstances and they have no plans to reduce the cost. In fact, their strategy depends on high costs. They believe that keeping childcare unaffordable will force many women with children to stay home. I predict that a Republican Congress will not pass anything having to do with paid maternal leave to further push women out of the work force. They will reduce food programs to force would-be single mothers to remain in dependent relationships that may be unhealthy and even dangerous. The fact that Republicans are trying to make divorce more difficult speaks to their agenda for young women. And of course, removing a woman’s right to abortion is part of their plan. They claim to be concerned about declining birthrates, but the reality is birthrates aren’t a problem if they are willing to allow immigration from Africa and Latin America. We have always been a nation of immigrants, however, these men and their followers make it clear that they only want white immigrants and white babies. This is about white male domination and returning women to roles of subjugation and second-class citizenship.

I predict we will observe more media campaigns designed to convince young white women that their greatest aspiration and role in life is to be a wife and mother. Watch for the proliferation of romanticized images of happy white women with beautiful white babies in the coming months. The policies are going to favor stay-at-home motherhood and marriage. They will make the lives of single white women a living hell by shaming them into submission. When they control the media, they control the narrative. I see the war among white women on social media over their role as women. More than half of white women voted for Trump. They are at war with each other. Black and brown women have always had to balance work and children. We were never the “June Cleavers” in this country. And so, it is no surprise that black women are currently the most highly educated demographic in the nation. As the DEI doors close, we must continue to boldly forge our own paths forward and upward, presenting our undeniable excellence and qualifications as job seekers and entrepreneurs.

Of course, they will do nothing about black female maternal death rates because they don’t want our numbers to grow. In the coming years, it will be increasingly dangerous for black women to have babies, especially in red states. I hope the white nurse who purposefully broke the bones of black babies in the NICU is charged with a hate crime. Unless something changes, I fear for young black females of childbearing age. My advice is to continue our pursuit of education and honing our talents. Find good men who are educated and who see you as an equal partner regardless of their race or ethnicity. Choose doctors you can trust and leave red states. I know many young black females are finding refuge outside the U.S. and I can’t blame them.

These are my greatest concerns. All the stuff Trump says about taking over Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal are only distractions away from their actual agenda: maintaining white male domination by taking over the media and subjugating women.

Let’s not allow it.

I am surrounded by stuff. Most of it we’ve purchased, some was inherited, and a lot has been gifted to us over the years from friends and family. Accumulating stuff is easy. Getting rid of it so that it doesn’t clutter the mind or become a burden to family after we’re gone isn’t easy.

Since I retired, I’ve made several attempts to downsize. I’ve donated my business clothes, shoes, handbags and sorority paraphrenia. I gifted cherished Christmas decorations to family members. I went through my kitchen and donated duplicate kitchen utensils and fad items that once seemed like a good idea but went untouched. I donated pots and pans and mixing bowls and my collection of lunch bags, coffee mugs, and sugar and creamer sets. But I still have too much stuff. I stopped adding to any collections and I rarely purchase anything unless it is a necessity. I realize that I absolutely must make a second round of donations this year. I already have a stack of seasonal throw pillows in my donation pile.

In our wills (one section of our living trust), we’ve designated specific items for family members to inherit when we pass, and we ask that they take whatever they want after that. I’ve directed them to have a professionally run estate sale for everything else and then the can divide up the proceeds equally. It gives me some comfort to know that there is a plan in place for all the stuff we can’t seem to part with in this life. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t continue to make an effort to rid us of unwanted clutter. I just feel lighter when I’m not surrounded by so many things. Unfortunately, my husband sometimes stands in the way of my “premature” donations.

I began 2025 by putting away Christmas decorations and setting aside items to send to my children to enjoy in the coming years. There are still Christmas items in the attic that I have yet to address, but I was able to go through several boxes I didn’t open this year while I was putting things away. Some things I will donate because I know the kids won’t want them. My husband was happy to see five Christmas storage boxes emptied on January 2nd. And I do feel lighter.

My next project will be my annual shredding of old files, documents, and receipts. This year I will shred tax returns and documents from 2018. I realize I may be a bit more conservative than some going with seven years instead of five. But I tend to err on the side of caution.

And finally, I’ll ask my husband to help me go through our drawers, boxes, and bins of old electronics and cords. There are so many electronic items that we have been afraid to donate for fear that we might one day need them. In reality, we haven’t looked in some of these bins and boxes for years. We have a Wii system that has been collecting dusk for at least seven years, but he already refused to donate it, thinking guests might want to play with it in the future. I am giving away a digital camera I haven’t used since our trip to Spain in 2010, and some handheld electronic games that I can’t even recall the last time we played them. At the end of 2024, he actually donated his turntable and Bose speaker system, but he kept his many albums. We have two CD players in the garage and boxes full of CDs even though we haven’t listened to music that way for years. The same is true of our four blue ray players and many DVDs. We’ll have to decide together if we’re ready to let go of any of them. Streaming has become our mode of entertainment and yet we are holding on to these collections. The same is true of my 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles.

Perhaps some items like puzzles, DVDs, albums, and CDs will just have to become part of the estate sale along with my books and my mother’s mink coat that I can’t bear to part with for sentimental reasons. For whatever reason, puzzles, books, DVDs, albums, and CDs are in that emotional attachment category and I’ll just have to give myself grace to keep them until the very end.

The point is that collecting stuff is super easy, but downsizing is not only harder and more time consuming; it isn’t even rational.

On January 20th, I expect life to become a bit more stressful and perhaps even a bit more frustrating as it becomes apparent that Americans have chosen chaos and disruption. My goal is to protect my mental health, my physical health, and my financial health from the coming storm while contributing to the protection of democracy and vulnerable people.

This past week I cancelled my subscription to the New York Times to avoid the constant barrage of mind-blowing headlines that will accompany a new Trump administration. I simply don’t want to hear it. The corruption is already piling up. Trump’s voice turns my stomach and his constant threats against sovereign nations who were our friends sickens me. His policies are going to do real damage to individual lives, the environment, and the economy as we know it. Already there is way too much drama. The infighting among the tech bros and MAGA has begun and is only going to get worse. The fighting among white Christians and white Christian nationalists is only now beginning to surface. The loss of credibility among CNN, MSNBC and ABC News has decimated their viewership and promoted the rise of independent journalism. I choose independent journalists, C-Span, PBS and NPR as future sources. It may be that the BBC and Canadian news will become reliable sources to find out what is happening in our own nation.

The best any of us can do is be prepared in advance to find reliable news sources and find ways to protect ourselves and defend decency and freedom. In 2025 I will continue my charitable contributions to St. Jude, my hometown Boys and Girls Club, Doctors Without Borders, Women for Women International, FINCA International, UNICEF USA, and UN World Food Programs. I will continue to donate to the civil rights organizations like the ACLU and Moveon.org because the courts still matter. I’ve added to my donation list Black Mamas Matter Alliance which advocates for reproductive rights and safer maternal outcomes for black women. Of course, college scholarships will always be on my donation list because education is foundational necessity. And I will also support decent democratic candidates because it matters who makes laws and sets policies.

When it comes to finances, I began a methodical move to a cash position and will continue that effort during the first month of 2025 to safeguard my investment funds. I believe the stock market is headed for a steep decline in the immediate future under Trump and so I’m following Warren Buffet with a major move to cash and a safer stock market portfolio to whether the storm. I will also be spending far less on goods and services in the coming years, having already made my home renovations, major purchases, and stockpiled necessities ahead of his promised tariffs. As mentioned before, I expanded my vegetable garden and plan to grow much more of the food we consume. With half the farm workers either deported or fleeing, produce will become scarce and more expensive.

In 2025 I plan to continue my health journey with intermittent fasting (16-8), eating organic, avoiding most processed foods, limiting sugar, and taking long daily walks, stretching for 30 minutes each morning, and doing my own gardening, cooking, and housework. I’ll continue my current knitting and crocheting and add embroidery this year. Music provides an enjoyable background to many of my physical activities while K-dramas provide enjoyment while I work with my hands.

In 2025 I will stay connected to family and friends. I’m an introvert, so I limit my time around lots of people. I find it more draining than ever to be around people for more than an hour at a time. If there is an important event, I will make the effort to prepare myself mentally in advance and convince myself to show up for it on the day it occurs. That is my commitment to maintaining important relationships. My family and my closest friends provide the outer limits of what I can handle these days. I spend no more than an hour with my knitting circle at the senior center each week. Even Christmas Eve was a challenge for me this year, but in the end, I loved being with the people I love. I desire the connection with family and will continue to invite it in manageable doses. I have to gear myself up for phone calls. Long ones exhaust me, and I admit that sometimes I put them off until I have the fortitude to talk. I will invest in my relationships this year by planning well.

I’ve made a personal commitment to intentionally support minority owned businesses in the coming years. I will patronize businesses that are socially and environmentally responsible. I will support the arts that bring social awareness, honor history, and prioritize inclusion. I will be a refuge to vulnerable communities in both my words and actions. In other words, I intend to be a decent, law-abiding human being in the face of bold indecency and hatred throughout the nation.

There are two Bible verses that I’ll cling to for the next four years as my mantra. The first is Roman 12:21, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” And the second is Matthew 10:16 wherein Jesus says, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”

There is no escaping the fact that 2025 is shaping up to be a difficult year for many. Our collective lack of political participation has brought us to this place where the most corrupt and indecent among us have gained power. The people who care to do what is best for the people of this nation are in the minority in all three branches of our government and those who are supposed to inform us are running scared. All I can say is that we have the government we collectively deserve. My hope is that the mistake of this election cycle quickly becomes evident to everyone, and I pray that the lesson for those who avoided voting because they hate politics now understand that politics doesn’t avoid them. Perhaps they will vote in the midterms for a more decent and livable future.

The incoming Trump administration is already inserting chaos and uncertainty into our lives. Musk and Trump threatened to oust Republican lawmakers if they passed a bi-partisan government budget resolution to keep the government open through March 2025. Thankfully, this resolution passed anyway. It will provide much anticipated relief for victims of the flood disasters and to farmers. Trump bullied ABC News into settling a defamation lawsuit that correctly characterized Trump as a rapist according to a court of law. ABC not only issued a bogus apology but coughed up a $15 million donation to some Trump foundation and museum. Fani Lewis was removed from the criminal case against Trump on appeal for dating a fellow prosecutor on the case. Huh? And the threats and bullying and bribes and bogus lawsuits just keep adding up. And of course, we still have ridiculous and dangerous cabinet confirmations and tariffs and mass deportations in our future this January.

Honestly, I can’t figure out what game they are playing and who besides the ultra-wealthy will ultimately gain anything beyond more wealth and power than they already have. If money makes them so happy, why do they behave so miserably? They joined forces with the religious right who seek Taliban-like control over the lives of everyday Americans. However, by all accounts these folks fail to live up to the moral standards they hope to impose on the rest of us. The men taking charge in January are petty and infantile with over-sized egos and a total lack of empathy. They are clearly misogynist. None of their proposed policies will enrich the lives of average Americans. In fact, they will make life more expensive, uncertain and difficult for most people. Many will be hurt. The environment will take second place to profits. Some may not survive the consequences of the next few years. What good is money if the planet can no longer sustain life?

It’s alarming to watch lawmakers and journalists willingly bow down to the will of billionaire bullies. We supposedly have three co-equal branches of government, but the Supreme Court and the Republican Congress have bowed the knee to the incoming executive branch in advance. It’s truly a mystery what they hope to accomplish once they have deported necessary workers, imposed tariffs on our closest trading partners, installed unqualified loyalists in key government positions, eliminated the department of education, and dismantled the public safety net, leaving us vulnerable to disease and abject poverty.

I’m not sure where any of this will lead us. I know folks are being silenced and freedoms are being rolled back. Americans were warned that Trump threatened our democracy and they scoffed at the idea and voted for him anyway. In Trump, too many found the freedom to express their discomfort with the progress of women, immigrants, LGBTQ folks, and people of color. They believe they were choosing a return to white male superiority and protections for white women. The reality of what they will receive for their vote beyond mass deportations and higher prices and a chaotic government will soon be revealed.

I do know that the end game, whatever it is, is not going to be good for the country nor ultimately for the bullies themselves. History has shown us that oppressed people eventually gather the courage to revolt against their oppressors. I believe Trump voters are only at the beginning stage of recognizing who those oppressors are.

I’m greatly disappointed in the results of the election. Americans knowingly voted for a convicted felon who bullies , lies, cheats, defrauds, and steals. He bankrupted six businesses and cheated consumers, banks, and contractors. He jokes about sexually assaulting women. He insults and threatens those who disagree with him and seeks revenge against those who sought to hold him accountable for his crimes. This is the character of the person about to hold the highest office in our country for a second time and mark my words, nothing good will come from it. The world is dismayed that we elected such a despicable person.

The strange thing is that a number of otherwise decent human beings held their noses and voted for him anyway because the current system isn’t working for them. I’m speaking specifically about older white people and young white males. They understood that unless you were born into wealth or scored “the exceptional person lottery”, it was unlikely that they would reach the apex of success in this country. They were taught to greatly admire the rich and famous. America calls itself the land of opportunity, but really only those born into prominence or the exceptionally talented, intelligent, creative, energetic, and ambitious can become rich, famous, and powerful. The problem is that they were also taught this only applied to white people, specifically white men. They are bothered by the success of “others” and Trump smartly espoused the promise of lower food and gas prices along with safety from criminal migrants and WOKE ideas as a cover story to hide their true motives.

Americans not only idolize the rich, the famous, and the powerful; they aspire to be them! However, most will not become them. Most refuse to acknowledge the fine print of the promise of America. It clearly explains that white people by virtue of their whiteness get a head start. That males by virtue of their maleness get an additional head start. It explains that the wealthy and well-connected live by rules of their own making that will maintain their status and increase their wealth. It explains that women and persons of color will face explicit and unseen obstacles. It explains that only the smartest, the most creative, talented, energetic, and ambitious will be allowed to rise to the top. And only they should be admired.

What we are witnessing today is a rebellion against the system that finally allowed exceptional people of color and women to scale the American ladder based on exceptional merit. The prominence of these folks in the public eye is a concern to some white folks who never thought they would have to compete with so many “others”. The excellence of these newly successful individuals is undeniable, and yet they are not always admired, but often challenged and even threatened at every turn. Unprepared, grossly uneducated, and lacking resilience, average white people see themselves losing ground. These average white people feel left behind despite the head start they were given. They mistakenly believed that their head start was enough to guarantee their middle or upper class status. In their minds they were at least “better than them!” And they were proven wrong! They would never vote for a woman of color no matter her qualifications and no matter the awful alternative.

Of course they are insecure! Of course they need reassurance! But what they really need is for someone to finally tell them the truth that their whiteness does not make the better! In an effort to soothe their fragile white egos and explain their lost ground, Trump and Republicans attributed the success of these exceptional risers to DEI initiatives. It’s sad how easily insecure people choose to believe the lies that make them feel better about themselves. They believed Republicans will lift them up again. And then they voted accordingly. So here we are.

As Trump fills his cabinet with like-minded billionaires who play by different rules to increase their wealth and power at their expense, it will be interesting to see what they offer the insecure and uneducated white folks who put them in power. Who will fill the labor vacancies left by mass deportations? Who will pay for the tariffs? Who will suffer from environmental deregulations, the loss of health insurance, increased maternal deaths, and police brutality? Their hope is that people of color will suffer more than them. And in some cases, they will be right.

However, they fail to realize that they lack the resilience of people of color. They fail to realize that black women walked through the educational doors of opportunity in great numbers. Most of these white forks who voted for Trump lack the exceptional attributes to make them successful in a global economy. Their whiteness will no longer save them because employers will continue to fill positions with educated, creative, and highly skilled folks in order to innovate and to compete with the world. And the folks they hire are not likely to be undereducated insecure white males.