With country in free-fall, now is the time to show up

The moment we’re living through is not normal. It demands our full attention, our courage, and our action.

Across this country, we are watching the fabric of our democracy fray. We are seeing people who are here legally being deported. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully and illegally deported to El Salvador’s most notorious gang prison – now sitting in a foreign country, torn away from everything he knows, denied due process. These are not isolated incidents. This is systemic. This is cruelty, sanctioned and orchestrated by a Trump administration determined to push the limits of what this country will allow.

And it doesn’t stop there.

We are witnessing an administration that not only ignores the rule of law – but openly mocks it. Court orders are defied. Judges are insulted. Legal norms that have held for generations are being twisted or tossed aside altogether. A president, with 34 felony counts, is treating our justice system like a punchline, using it to raise money, score political points, and rile up threats against prosecutors and jurors alike.

This is not just corruption. This is a coordinated campaign to delegitimize the very systems that hold powerful people accountable.

We are in uncharted waters. The danger we face is not hypothetical. This is a moment of profound instability – where the safeguards we once trusted are being stress-tested by people who do not believe in democratic principles. And the consequences are cascading into every corner of our lives.

We are living through deep economic uncertainty. There are threats to the programs so many of our families depend on – like Medicaid and Social Security – programs that working people have paid into and should be able to count on. And now we’re watching as a new trade war is being escalated – a war that won’t just impact our pocketbooks at the grocery store, but will hit small businesses, family farms, and local economies hard. People are already struggling to make ends meet. This will make it worse.

And let’s be clear: this isn’t just happening out there. This is local. This is Wisconsin. These decisions are showing up in our school boards, our town halls, our state legislature, our budget process. The danger is real, and it is here.

But so is our power.

We know that when local people rise up – everything can change. We’ve seen it. Our own Outagamie Action Teams are standing up, speaking out, hosting community events, writing letters, organizing their neighbors, getting loud about what matters most. None of us are professional politicians – we are parents, students, farmers, retirees, healthcare providers, artists, and workers. And we are making waves.

Remember: each time one of us speaks truth in a space where silence used to win, we shake the foundation of the Republican stronghold that’s had a grip on too many of our neighbors, our friends, even our families. We are not only protecting the vulnerable – we are eroding a system built on fear, greed, and division.

Every conversation, every canvass, every meeting like this one is an act of resistance. And it matters. It’s our responsibility, our duty now, to use our privilege to stand up for our neighbors and communities in every way we can.

And here’s the thing – we have a unique opportunity in this moment. While the national noise gets louder and more chaotic, we’re in what looks like an off-season electorally in Wisconsin. But this is exactly the time when our work can cut through the noise. When we can get ahead of the spin. When we can be the people connecting the dots between what this administration is doing nationally and how it’s hurting our communities – right here at home.

This is the time to think not just about now, but about 2026. About 2028. About building deep, strategic resistance that doesn’t just win one election, but changes the playing field entirely.

This is about laying the groundwork, training leaders, strengthening relationships, and telling the truth loudly and clearly – before the rest of the world starts tuning in again.

Yes, we are entering a terrifying chapter in our nation’s story – but we are not powerless. We are organizers. We are neighbors. We are the people who still believe in compassion, fairness, stability, and truth.

So step into this moment – with courage. With determination. With love for your neighbors. And with a deep belief that we can still build something better – together.

We are not alone. We are many. And we are ready.

Let’s get to work.