A Warning and a Call to Action: Self-Hate, Economic Struggles, and the Fight for Democracy

I want to start by sharing my love for cinema, a passion that has stayed with me since I was a little boy. Movies often reflect life, offering valuable lessons if we pay attention. Lately, I’ve been drawn to characters who betray their own group to align with those who neither care for nor respect them but merely use them to achieve their goals. Characters like Red in Planet of the Apes, Cypher in The Matrix, Stephen in Django Unchained, and Miles Dyson from Terminator 2. Some of them find redemption; others meet tragic ends before they get the chance. But the message remains the same: these betrayals never lead to lasting rewards. The “other group” never has their best interests at heart—they use them and discard them.

This dynamic is eerily similar to real-life figures like Clarence Thomas, Byron Donalds, Tim Scott, Herman Cain, and Candace Owens. Owens, in particular, has pushed ideas so toxic that she has been banned from entering certain countries for her disparaging remarks about the Black community. And then there’s Vivek Ramaswamy, a man whose policies align with those who could one day deport him under their vision of immigration law. It’s astonishing that someone like him—publicly disrespected by Ann Coulter for his ethnicity—doesn’t see the writing on the wall.

The Economic Assault on Black America

Right now, America exists on a spectrum of engagement with national politics. Some are apathetic, while others are deeply involved. But everyone, regardless of their political leaning, should recognize the economic assault against Black America. When Black Americans are economically impaired, it affects the entire country. Losing jobs means people can’t pay their bills or buy goods, which creates a domino effect. Families step in to help, straining their own finances and limiting their economic participation. This hurts all businesses, not just Black-owned ones.

But there’s something deeper and more sinister happening. This isn’t just about economics—it’s about division. Efforts to deport undocumented individuals, roll back birthright citizenship, and attack DEI initiatives are deliberate moves to weaken communities of color. If these efforts succeed, industries like farming will collapse, as they depend on undocumented workers. Similarly, if DEI initiatives are dismantled, Black professionals will face unprecedented economic hardship, taking us back to conditions reminiscent of the Reconstruction Era.

And what happens when a community is left with no jobs, no money, and no opportunities? Desperation sets in, leading to crime. This then becomes the excuse for harsher policing, mass incarceration, and even more deaths. It’s a vicious cycle designed to crush the community under the guise of “law and order.”

Automation and a Grim Future

Looking ahead, even the low-paying jobs left for Black Americans will be further reduced by automation. If the ruling elite sees a population as “useless,” history tells us what comes next—and it’s nothing good. Democracies can fall shockingly fast, and the lack of intention to share power is glaringly evident.

If marginalized communities and even poor white Americans don’t wake up, it will be too late. Religious leaders—pastors, bishops, deacons—should be shouting from the rooftops, exposing the falsehoods of those claiming to act in God’s name while perpetuating hate. Faith is important, but perhaps God’s message isn’t to wait for divine intervention. Maybe it’s to find the strength within ourselves to say, “Enough.”

To MAGA-Lite Republicans

You know who you are Pence, McConnell, Rubio, DeSantis, Vance, and the rest who once spoke the truth about Trump but have since flipped into loyalists. Be warned—he doesn’t like you. He remembers your criticisms, and when he no longer needs you, he will humiliate and discard you, just as he has done to countless others.

Courts, Law Enforcement, and the Military

Within these groups, there are some who are gleefully waiting for the chance to act—whether at the border or in urban areas, ready to “clean up” protests. But many of you are not like that. You took an oath. Remember it. Be the hero we need when—and if—that time comes. And with advances in technology, I shudder what to think they could do to parts of inner city with drones before single soldier is sent in. Is this not happening now in other parts of the world.

A Warning to the Apathetic

Now, I want to speak directly to those who remain apathetic. If you can’t be bothered by what’s going on, if the last few days have felt no different to you than a month ago, then you are willfully ignorant or incredibly naive. Unless you are actively in favor of these evil plans, I’m not addressing you. But for those who love this country, even if you’re someone who isn’t overly excited about diversity or sharing space with minorities—this is for you.

Consider this: The U.S. has been destabilizing countries for decades. Don’t get mad at me for telling you something you already know—or should know. And read something while you still can, before they pull all the books. That’s why they want an uneducated populace. I digress.

If, God forbid, things devolve in this country and the evil plans of a select few come to fruition, aggression and violence will not go unanswered. People will fight back. No one will be safe.

And as we are in conflict with each other, adversaries of America—who don’t care about our race, creed, or political affiliation—will wait for the opportunity to sow even more chaos.

Think, folks. Destroying this imperfect but precious democracy is a lose-lose for everyone except a select few. If we don’t act now, it may soon be too late.

A Call to Action

For Democrats, liberals, progressives, and all allies of democracy: it’s time to shift from defense to offense. We must confront these threats with boldness and clarity! Mass boycotts and protests. Meeting intimidation head on. History has shown that resistance only works when we come together across lines of difference. It’s not enough to retreat to our own groups and hope to ride this out. There’s no riding this out.

If you truly believe in decency, fairness, and opportunity, it’s time to act. Staying silent is complicity. And to those who cling to hate or fear—especially those who justify it with religion—your beliefs have nothing to do with Christianity. If you seek to eradicate rather than coexist, you’re on the wrong side of morality.

It’s not too late to change course, but the window is closing fast. Let’s join hands, find our shared humanity, and stand against those who seek to divide and conquer.