Approximately 12 years ago, I watched Black Hawk Down. While a little cliché, the message of the movie struck particularly hard, given that I would be entering the United States military. The message in the final moments highlighted not that anyone should sacrifice their life/security for valor, honor, or out of some form of pride – but a feeling of responsibility to keep the person next to you safe.

I was not the greatest Airman in the history of the United States Air Force. I am not a political genius. I am a random American, scared that the world I was willing to give my life for would throw their neighbors in prison, turn on each other, and destroy everything we have built together simply out of spite.

Fundamentally, Trump and his allies do not believe in the American way of life. They are part of a class that has established an “us vs them” mentality in the American people, and they do not care about keeping you safe, fed, or even alive - if your death would result in a net profit. Consider the actions by the administration recently and ask whether your quality of life has improved. Do you feel safe? Do you feel that things are going to get better?

Those in opposition of the administration have been silenced through various means, with systems of reporting and retaliation being developed for those who may speak out against them. There are too many examples to list at this point, and many have done a significantly better job explaining the situations occurring across America than I likely can.

If you are not hearing the alarm bells – it is because institutions are working to keep you distracted.

The end goal is not “republicans v. democrats,” - it is to keep the American people angry, fighting, and unwilling to work together as a team – which is the only reason we got to this point as a country before those willing to trade human life for profit entered the mix.

Share this with your friends, family, or whoever stands beside you. You don’t need to completely agree with me politically, and it doesn’t matter how you voted. At this point, understand that every single one of us is in this building - with a small but determined group willing to burn it down.

We only win this by fighting together.