A Warning for the Future: One Answer Won’t Suffice
“The world feels turned inside out—threads of our collective identity frayed, yet WE, holding strong, are the quilt patched with America's nearly 250 years of resilience.”
Today, we face anger born from struggles that are often not our fault: the frustration of trying to succeed in systems that seem stacked against us.
For example, we might feel angry at not being able to get ahead in life. Money, safe neighborhoods, access to people who help us, if only we had the supportive family—the kind whose father is a doctor and whose education trickled down into children who studied art and literature, traveled abroad, had balanced meals, and carried Prada purses. That’s not the reality for most of us, but it doesn’t mean we don’t have power.
We have the power to think, to connect the dots, and to practice empathy—caring for each other through wildfires or over Easter dinner.
Nearly 40 years ago, my work began with a vivid premonition—a vision of the world much like today. Oversized, overcompensation, a bigger is better mentality and a glaring lack of what society truly wants: autonomy of the spirit. To be free.
Yet, a free society is a civil society. While our foundation is imperfect, it has brought the promise of possibility for those willing to build upon it.
There is no God I’ve ever seen who would bestow a king upon us. There is no comparison between Jesus and Trump, who is thought by some to be a “savior” despite showing no sign—large or small—of mercy or compassion. People are treated as pawns, here to please a king of fools. For what kind of king?
Consider these realities:
Roe was overturned, stripping women’s rights and endangering their health.
Pride flags are banned from United States federal buildings.
Funding for infrastructure has been halted.
Communications from health agencies have been silenced.
Civil servants have been fired.
The U.S. halted nearly all foreign aid except to Israel and Egypt.
The Paris Climate Accords were abandoned.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are under attack.
Birthright citizenship is being challenged.
January 6th insurrectionists have been pardoned.
I’m not okay with that.
When President Joe Biden gave his farewell address, he noted that America is on the cusp of oligarchy. Reports show “oligarchy” became the most Googled word after his speech. It’s good news that people sought to understand it, but troubling that they had to.
We must sing for freedom. We must demand evidence.
If oligarchy’s rise marks the present, civil unrest may define what’s next. Signs of civil unrest are school shootings, disobeying rule of law, ungrounded belief in conspiracy theories. People will eventually rise. But what is oligarchy’s idea of retaliatory force against those who seek to rise?
Is it too much to ask for collective responsibility to ensure that our children are safe from the virus of violence?
For those misled, we must acknowledge that we were fed lies. For those whose choices shaped a darker future, we must empower each other to make different decisions today that allow for autonomy of the spirit.
At our best, we are a collection of human beings whose primary concern, not too long ago, was taking care of our children and grandchildren. Most of the struggles we face in our interconnected yet independent journeys stem from listening to those with the loudest voices. Spiritual gurus and political figures alike claim they hold the answer—if only we send them money.
We must focus on stability and disregard the distractions designed to divide us and stop us from thinking.
From cultural wars, we learn that the true fight is a class war aimed at silencing the voices of artists, poets, scientists, historians, physicists, and physicians. We must inspire the public to think for themselves.
Neil deGrasse Tyson, the American astrophysicist, said:
“You have to train yourself away from the passions of people you know to then recognize the significance of value in the cold statistics that actually contain access to the truth you seek.”
His words feel like an anthem for our time. The challenges of 2025 demand not compact thinking or complacency but focus, resilience, and action. This is a warning, but it’s also a mission statement.
My argument is this:
Wildfires in California devastated families. Should we not show mercy?
Sea levels are rising globally. Should we buy beachfront homes?
Children are acquiring guns and shooting one another. Should we buy them more ammunition?
We are not powerless. Empathy—the act of caring for one another—can bridge divides. Whether it’s helping a neighbor after wildfires or sharing kindness at a meal, our efforts can heal communities and provide hope.
“I felt the world crying, so I cried along with it. I felt my neighbor’s pang of hunger, so I baked bread and gave them a loaf.”
I don’t post for advantage. Most people don’t seem interested in what has captivated me since my high school sociology class. But building a fair, equal, and sustainable humanity has always been my focus, however imperfectly my words flow.
The future may appear bleak, but if we show up—with empathy, action, and unity—it holds the promise of our resilience, our ability to soar and create meaningful change.
Let’s show up with all our ideas and contemplate —at one table. E pluribus unum.
Photo by Alex Knight on Unsplash
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/24/foreign-aid-israel-egypt