The Time to Resist is Now
We can't wait for anyone to save us. We must save ourselves.
There can be no question about it: our country is in an unmitigated crisis. Whether it is attempting to gut critical services such as Medicaid, accessing private data with unauthorized personnel, gutting the Department of Education's civil rights branch, or arresting students for undesirable speech, the Trump administration is devastating the American government, and it is putting the nation on a collision course with a fascist future.
The Trump administration is a disaster.
The current administration shows what it stands for and isn't the American people. Earlier last week, the Hill reported that the Trump administration dropped a lawsuit that the Biden administration had brought against Denka Performance Elastomer, a chemical plant based in LaPlace, Louisiana. The plant, which rests in an area known acrimoniously as "Cancer Valley," is releasing chloroprene into the air at rates that the EPA called an “imminent and substantial endangerment” to public health.
Studies into the carcinogenic nature of chloroprene have raised alarms as far back as the 1970s when exposed workers started showing higher rates of cancer. In 2010, a chemical analysis by the EPA determined that chloroprene is a likely carcinogen. It is worth noting that people living near the Denka plant are exposed at fourteen times the level that the EPA says can cause cancer. Even when accounting for other factors such as smoking and obesity, cancer incidence is higher among people exposed to higher levels of pollution. And despite this plant allowing for clear, consistent exposure to likely carcinogens, the Trump administration decided to let this plant and its wealthy allies get off scot-free. For Trump, only the wealthy and powerful have a voice.
This might makes right approach to government is unacceptable and must be resisted at every possible opportunity. No amount of so-called patriotism can justify exposing Americans to dangerous carcinogens. Nor can it hide the naked corruption inherent in letting a powerful corporation poison the very air that Americans breathe.
Even when we turn toward decisions that don't directly threaten human life, the Trump administration demonstrates its explicit contempt for its citizens and their memory. Recently, the administration has passed a slew of executive orders cracking down on history it deems "DEI" or "Woke." The result of this is clear as day. Last Saturday, historian Kevin Levin reported that the U.S. Army removed lesson plans for African American history, Women's history, Reconstruction, and more from Arlington National Cemetery's website. If the struggles of Black Americans and women in general can be wiped away, their struggles and advancements can be erased as well.
Not satisfied with silencing history and leaving Americans to face cancerous materials, Trump has also rolled back a Biden administration order that sought to "advance effective, accountable policing and criminal justice practices to enhance public trust and public safety.” This order came amid the previous administration's failure to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, attempting to reform policing in America without more firm legislation.
By revoking the order, Trump not only backtracked on his previous policy from his first term but also sent a signal to his more white supremacist supporters that he views the Black population in the same way that he does, equivocating Black people with criminals. This is unacceptable.
It is time to fight, not cower
Much of what I have discussed has been in the news over the last several weeks, and all of it is depressing. These depressing reports can also make many people feel they can do nothing. That attitude, while understandable, is wrong. Trump wants us to be tired, exhausted, and unable to fight, but there are plenty of ways to oppose Trump—whether it is federally or otherwise.
While the judiciary holds Trump back somewhat, it is clear that a strong oppositional congress is necessary. That means getting any Republicans out of the House and Senate; people must volunteer and find weak GOP districts to organize against. If you want to get involved, consider finding your local Indivisible group, which you can find with the link here. They can help you find good targets in the upcoming midterms. I have already signed up to phone bank against Illinois Republican Mary Miller this Saturday. Please consider signing up here to join me and other Indivisible Illinois activists. Also, make sure you are registered to vote, not just in the midterms but in all local and municipal elections. You can also find that information here.
I know how frustrating it is to hear people repeatedly tell you to vote. Everyone gets tired of it, including the people encouraging you to do so. Trust me, I have been on that side of the coin more often than not, but right now, we must ensure that Trump and his ilk are put on their back foot. So long as they control government institutions, they can do more harm. If we don't get involved and stop this now, we will be dealing with the consequences of this disastrous administration for the rest of our lives. Some people are already suffering because of him. We owe it to ourselves and to those whose lives have been ruined by Trump to stand up. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Now.
Houghtaling, Ellie. 2025. “MAGA Republican Straight-Up Admits They’ll Cut Medicare and Medicaid.” The New Republic. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/maga-republican-straight-up-admits-they-ll-cut-medicare-and-medicaid/ar-AA1AHNMR?ocid=BingNewsSerp (March 12, 2025).
Kelly, Conor. 2023. “Trump Admits Recession Could Come From Tariffs.” The Progressive American with Conor Kelly. https://www.progressiveamerican.net/p/trump-admits-recession-is-a-possibility (March 12, 2025).
Levin, Kevin M. 2025. “US Army Deletes Lesson Plans Focusing on African American History, the Civil War and Women’s History at Arlington National Cemetery.” Civil War Memory. Link. (March 12, 2025).
Pappas, Stephanie. “What Is Chloroprene, the Cancer-Causing Chemical at the Center of a Federal Lawsuit?” Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trump-administration-likely-to-drop-chloroprene-lawsuit-heres-what-that/ (March 12, 2025).
Rashid, Qasim. 2024. “ICE Abducts & Disappears US Green Card Holder Mahmoud Khalil.” Let’s Address This. Link. (March 12, 2025).
Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37. 2021. “H.R.1280 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021.” https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1280 (March 12, 2025).
Stroud, Hernandez. 2022. “Trump Reverses Biden Directive on Policing Reforms | Brennan Center for Justice.” The Brenan Center for Justice. https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/trump-reverses-biden-directive-policing-reforms (March 12, 2025).
“The Latest: Education Department Guts Its Civil Rights Office.” 2025. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/12/trump-tariffs-russia-ukraine-doge-shutdown/73d23762-ff3e-11ef-b7a7-d938159de2bc_story.html (March 12, 2025).