Reflecting on Senator Cory Booker's over 25-hour speech and the discourse surrounding it.

I am angry. And I have to ask—why aren’t you?

Not in a way that accuses, but in a way that truly wonders—when will it be enough for you? What will it take for you to see what’s happening all around us?

This isn’t about blame. It’s about recognition. About opening our eyes and choosing to care deeply enough to do something. Because whether we like it or not, the choices being made by those in power affect all of us. And too often, the people with the least power bear the greatest cost.

The quiet parts have been said out loud for years—decades. Maybe you’ve heard them but felt powerless. Maybe you’ve tuned them out because it’s easier than facing the weight of what’s happening. I get it. It’s exhausting to care deeply, to feel the frustration of injustice, to wonder if anything can actually change. But ignoring it doesn’t make it go away.

The truth is, we do have power. But it requires us to use our voices, our votes, our collective strength. It requires us to show up—not just for ourselves, but for each other.

Who Are We Leaving Behind?

We talk about freedom. About justice. We post quotes about "liberty and justice for all."
And yet, how often do we look away when those promises don’t hold true for everyone?

How often do we convince ourselves that if something doesn’t directly affect us, it’s not our fight?

But it is our fight.

Because when women lose rights, we all lose.
When people are silenced, we all lose.
When power is hoarded at the top while everyday people struggle, we all lose.

And if we choose silence? If we choose comfort over courage? Then we leave behind the very people we claim to care about. We leave behind future generations who will ask why we didn’t do more.

But we can do something different.

It’s Okay to Be Unsure—Your Political Awakening is Yours

Maybe you’re reading this and feeling a pang of something—discomfort, uncertainty, even defensiveness. Maybe you’re asking yourself, Have I been looking away? Have I been silent?

And if the answer is yes, I need you to hear this: That’s okay. You’re here now.

We all have a moment—sometimes many moments—when we start to see things more clearly. Maybe it happens gradually, through conversations, through experiences, through simply paying closer attention. Maybe it happens suddenly, a single event breaking through everything you once believed.

There’s no wrong way to wake up.

Political awakening isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about starting to ask the right questions. It’s about allowing yourself to grow, to listen, to unlearn and relearn. It’s about realizing that it’s never too late to care.

So if you’re feeling unsure, lean into that. Explore it. Let it guide you forward instead of holding you back. Because the world doesn’t need more people who pretend to know everything. It needs more people willing to learn—and then act on what they learn.

A Better Way Forward

This isn’t about tearing things down just for the sake of it. It’s about building something better. It’s about asking hard questions and making room for hard truths—without shutting down, without turning away.

It’s about understanding the difference between patriotism and nationalism.

Patriotism means loving this country enough to hold it accountable, to push it toward its best self.
Nationalism means following blindly, even when harm is being done.

We don’t need blind obedience. We need brave compassion.

Compassion that leads to action.
Compassion that fuels change.
Compassion that refuses to let injustice become normal.

Because I’m not just angry—I care. And I believe you do too.

So, I’ll ask again—when will it be enough?