"Is the Spotlight Still on Me?"
It Is Time To Be Afraid
by Bob Gary
August 14, 2025
Mussolini reportedly observed that if you pluck a chicken one feather at a time, it will be naked before anyone notices. The assault on our democracy has not been subtle, but it has been one feather at a time. Let’s look at some of these actions by the Trump administration and what they mean for every American.
Without proof, Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Her sin was reporting weak job numbers. The U.S. was once seen as the gold standard for economic reporting. Now, our numbers can no longer be trusted. You should care because if we can’t plan and adjust government policies to prevent a financial crisis, we are all at risk. This feather was plucked so one man wouldn’t look bad.
Our EPA has traditionally aimed to protect our health and the environment, based on evidence that greenhouse gases threaten our health. Trump’s EPA proposed repealing that finding, which would allow the rollback of greenhouse gas emission standards. This risks the health of children and others vulnerable to climate change’s impacts, but it benefits the fossil fuel industry and car makers. Clean, beautiful coal will likely come back at the cost of clean air—another feather plucked, sacrificing scientific truth for economic gains to current and future donors.
Highlighting the low points, there’s the dismantling of safeguards against corruption through the removal of inspector generals, loosening rules on cryptocurrency and money laundering—driven by an unprecedented Supreme Court ruling on Presidential immunity.
Attacks on the rule of law include undermining the independence of law enforcement, attacking judges, and appointing unqualified judges likely to support the administration’s agenda. Coupled with financial intimidation, such as frivolous lawsuits that lead to multimillion-dollar settlements and withholding university funds over policies the government disapproves of, it’s clear this government seeks to silence opposition.
In plain sight, our President appears intent on taking control of our universities—once the pride of the world—by restricting research, limiting foreign student enrollment, censoring free speech, and controlling curricula and admissions. Ultimately, this threatens to drive away international students and result in a flood of lost tuition dollars and a brain drain of enormous harm.
The Department of Justice has been weaponized, firing qualified attorneys for doing their jobs and launching politically motivated investigations against opponents—signaling that dissent will be met with force.
It hardly matters if you oppose these actions because gerrymandering in Texas and beyond is rigging elections in favor of Republicans, and it’s Congress that certifies presidential results. While Democrats in California, New York, and elsewhere may push back, it signifies that the right to choose representatives is eroding.
Even workplaces aren’t immune. A recent memo from the Office of Personnel Management allowing “religious freedom” in federal jobs could lead to discrimination against religious minorities, whether intentionally or not.
I haven’t even touched on the aggressive tactics of ICE agents, who sometimes snatch individuals without notice, violating constitutional rights, and deporting them to places like “Alligator Alcatraz” or worse, often without notifying families. Is this the America we want for future generations?
What Can You Do?
So, you ask what you can do? With Congress abdicated and the Supreme Court politicized, the challenge seems overwhelming. The President is even personally interviewing four-star generals, blurring the lines between military and politics. If our respected military were ever used to suppress civilian protests, it would be game over.
The first step is recognizing how close we are to losing our democracy. Without active participation from disengaged citizens—especially independents and moderates—little can change. It’s vital that these groups, along with Democrats, unite to stop this slide into authoritarianism.
We must rally now, for this isn’t a normal time in our history. If we don’t stand up and fight with everything we have, everything we cherish could be lost. The era of false hope and trusting in the goodness of the American people is over.
Now is the time to defend our nation, built on institutions that weren’t designed to resist an autocratic president, a neutered Congress, and a politicized Supreme Court. Yes, it’s up to us—our collective future depends on it.
The President believes that a passive America will allow him to reshape our nation’s foundations and values. Let’s unite and prove him wrong!
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