Thank you for writing this, James. As a Gen Zer who is beyond concerned about our country and where it’s headed (and have been since I was a pre-teen), hearing someone with direct experience seeing and rising against this bigotry and corrupt leadership is so valuable.

Your piece offers hope, energy, and community, which are 3 things I think many of us deeply need right now and appreciate from others as we mourn.

I worry most, unfortunately, about having no one in a policy position to stick up for us and our rights, other than locally—which could still not be enough to prevent the harm of federal fascism. I’m afraid of how different our country will look in 4 years or whether we will be able to keep any of our most basic rights and freedoms in ANY form, like voting, reproductive rights, and of course LGBTQ rights. (Many of these are or already have been under siege, but I’m worried it will get unimaginably worse.) We have faced hardship as Americans before but never a leader (at least in our time) with so much unchecked power—as he has the Senate and Court and could also take the House. I’m rambling now, I know. The fear is just so dark and deep.

Your piece helped affirm that we have no idea where this is going and cannot control what he does or whether other politicians will ever step up to help and enact protections and change. We cannot rely on those factors. All we have is each other and our collective strength. Though I still have fear, I’m learning to warm to this reality and move forward with a lens that adapts to that truth. Thank you, thank you.