Facts Over Fear: Connect the dots

Jumping in to help save (what's left) of our fragile democracy. Let's squash the fear by acknowledging the facts and acting to create a better world for us all.

With everything that is currently swirling around us, from shutting down federal programs, ICE detention camps, a devastating air collision and the looming threat of tariffs about to become reality, it can be hard to dissect what is really going on. So let’s connect some dots and look at the bigger picture.

FACE YOUR FEAR: Immigrants are not the enemy

According to Axios: President Trump announced he'll order the opening of a detention center at Guantanamo Bay to house up to 30,000 immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally. He made the announcement just before signing the Laken Riley Act, which requires the detention of undocumented immigrants accused of certain crimes such as theft. There were still 15 prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay as of the Pentagon's Jan. 6 update, but a separate facility will hold immigrants and this will be by far the largest cost of the deportation process.

We may be called upon to engage in civil disobedience to prevent our friends and neighbors from being hauled off without cause to a concentr— I mean “detention” camp. There is NO LAW making it a crime to live in the United States as an undocumented immigrant. And, while Trump falsely claimed that undocumented immigrants were responsible for rising crime rates, that’s just not true. Whether or not they are documented, immigrants commit less crime than U.S. citizens.

Let’s connect the dots here: They need criminals to fill these work camps, right? Why? Because we know prisons force people who are incarcerated to labor for corporations either for free or for pennies a day. More criminals means more cheap labor — without having to outsource.

Let’s take this a step further. Why do they want to criminalize abortion? Could it be for the same nefarious reasons? This is why when people say, “it doesn’t affect me,” think again.

When we look back at our history with Guantanamo and what we justified to fight the war on terror, what may stand out most is not what has changed…but how much things haven’t. Immigrants make this country stronger…no matter what the orange man and his Nazi regime say. No one is free until everyone is.

REALITY CHECK: What about the price of eggs?

Trump just said today, according to multiple outlets like CNBC, that he will be imposing tariffs (basically import taxes) starting Saturday on the United States’ top three trading partners: Canada, Mexico and China. This will — undoubtedly — cause prices to soar here in the United States. Now remember, he said that on DAY ONE of his presidency the price of goods would come down. So what about those eggs?

I have a theory.

I believe that Trump and his crooked cronies — like Elon Musk — want to crash the economy. Think about it. There is literally no reason at all to do this. Implementing a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada and a 10% tariff on China (interesting in and of itself that China’s tariff would be lower…) will only hurt us.

How? According to NBC News: While Trump insists that tariffs are paid for by foreign countries, in fact, it is importers — American companies — that pay tariffs, and the money goes to U.S. Treasury. Those companies, in turn, typically pass their higher costs on to their customers in the form of higher prices.

That's why economists say consumers usually end up footing the bill for tariffs.

And, according to the Tax Foundation, while tariffs "do place an economic burden on foreign exporters, the costs are often borne by consumers in the country that is imposing them."

"Tariffs directly increase the cost of domestic sales by artificially increasing the price on imports," the organization stated.

Like Robert Reich said, these tariffs are a regressive tax and will cost the average working family an extra $3,900 per year!

This could destabilize the global economy. If the economy or the stock market crashes, who is in a position to clean up? Like my grandmother always used to say: “Follow the money.” If history has taught us anything, the rich always find a way to rig the system in their favor.

And here’s some more food for thought: Why were Musk’s people trying to access the treasury payment systems and how will crypto play into this? And…is this all just a distraction from what they’ve been dismantling in front of our eyes all along?

NEWS OF NOTE: This page cannot be found

You may have been so distracted this week by everything I shared above plus the horrific mid air plane collision that happened yesterday over Washington D.C. airspace. We should be mourning for the 67 lives lost but instead we were forced to hear the President of the United States and his crooked cronies like Elon Musk blame “DEI” for what happened on their watch only days after the FAA director was fired, then the air traffic controller hiring freeze was put into play, then the Aviation Safety Advisory Committee was disbanded… This wasn’t about DEI. This was about worker shortages that Trump exacerbated. To pour even more salt in the would, Trump then claimed that people with disabilities were to blame for the crash, as well. A real cherry-on-top moment.

Let’s connect more dots. While all of this is happening, the White House website has shut down the Spanish-language website. They’ve shut down reproductive health resources. They’ve removed climate resources, gun violence prevention resources, LGBTQIA+ resources, mental health resources, and THE CONSTITUTION is nowhere to be found.

All of this is happening at the same time they are ramming through terrible cabinet picks like RFK Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel, who are quite possibly — next to Pete Hegseth — the most dangerous and unqualified group ever to be nominated for leadership positions in the U.S. government.

We are overwhelmed and overwrought. There’s no way to keep up when you are drinking from a fire hose, but the one thing we must remember is that we cannot just give away our power. They are banking on us giving in and giving up.

Lean into your community. The way through all of this is solidarity with one other. An attack on one is an attack on all of us. Share with me ways you are going to show up for your each other in the comments. Resist. Regroup. Engage.

Until next time, take care of yourselves and each other. -Natalie