This is not a time to panic—it’s a time for hopeful action.

Everyday Americans took to the streets this weekend for a nationwide day of peaceful protest. From all accounts, participants represented nearly every demographic and political affiliation. What drove people to disrupt their weekend plans and join over 1,300 events in a city near them was a shared grievance: frustration and fear over the erosion of democratic values and institutions. Millions of Americans across every generational group showed up to voice their frustration and disapproval over the government’s swift policies that have incited fear and threatened to undermine peace and justice for all.

This is not a time to panic, but to remain sober-minded and engaged. The stakes are high as the risks to our collective liberties, security, and prosperity are very real. Creating a better tomorrow involves the challenging, complex, and sacrificial work of pursuing equitable outcomes that benefit each other. It also requires the human emotion of empathy with our fellow global citizens to see injustice and guide our focused efforts.

We should feel disturbed when armed authorities round up foreign-born residents outside of their homes, workplaces, schools, or public spaces without legal due process because it threatens to undermine the rights of others. 

We should feel distrustful when government departments that support vital social services are cut because we don’t know if they will be there in our time of need. 

We should feel worried when self-identified groups such as the LGBTQ+ community are unjustly targeted and forced out of government work because we don’t know who will be next. 

We should feel vulnerable when efforts to promote human diversity, equity, and inclusion are undermined because we recognize our personal freedoms and civil liberties are not universal. 

We should feel concerned when journalists, lawyers, and government officials whose jobs are to hold others accountable are silenced because we recognize they help protect personal agency and the power of everyday citizens in society. 

We should feel alarmed when a “self-inflicted economic catastrophe” is unjustifiably created because we know it stands to harm millions of Americans and billions globally for a generation.

Still, this is not a time for panic because hope is rising in the chaos and despair. 

The recent actions of our government have catalyzed a new wave of citizen engagement. Fundamentally, we are people destined for peaceable living—in goodness, belonging, and possibility. This is our shared burden, and as more people become engaged, common ground can be found.

This weekend was a sign of what will likely become a growing movement of everyday people rallying for a better tomorrow. We are not without agency and progress is still possible. There is no better time to lean in with curiosity, empathy, and resolve. This is not a time for panic but to reclaim hope and create lasting change.

Hope and Justice For All

If you’re like me, you’re looking for compassionate hearts and rational minds in our chaotic world. Hope, change, and justice for everyone, everywhere require thoughtfulness, dedication, and courage to values-based living and leading. I believe that for myself—and for you. Will you join me in this consequential cause? You won’t find ads, paywalls, partner links, or random emails from me. I’m not for sale, and neither are you. However, this work does require support, and with your help, can remain accessible and uninterrupted. Please consider making a donation to keep weekly insights for hope and change available to you and others. Thank you!