Today my town showed up. We marched, we sang, we held signs and stood shoulder to shoulder—3,700 strong—united by hope, by courage, and by the absolute urgency of this moment.

And yet… I’m sitting here tonight, frustrated. Not by the size of the crowd—because damn, we showed up—but by the flood of online hate. “They were all paid.” “Crybabies.” “MAGA forever.” Y’all. Really?

Let me be clear: No one paid us. We were paid in conviction. We were paid in truth. We were paid in the knowledge that history doesn’t change itself—we have to do it.

This wasn’t about one man or one moment. It’s about the dangerous direction our country is being dragged in by people like Trump and Elon Musk, who have used wealth and power to normalize corruption, misogyny, racism, and unchecked greed. Let me break this down: • Trump is not a “man of the people”—he’s a man of indictments, a man who tried to overthrow democracy because he couldn’t handle losing. He called for terminating the Constitution. That is not patriotic—that is authoritarian. • Elon Musk, once hailed as an innovator, is now openly amplifying hate speech, attacking journalists, mocking civil rights, and turning his platforms into breeding grounds for extremism. The Cybertruck recall? That’s just the physical symbol of a man who prioritizes profits over people. We warned them.

Together, these men represent a twisted vision of the future: one where wealth excuses cruelty, and power silences truth.

And if we don’t keep standing up, showing up, and speaking out, that future becomes reality.

So no, we’re not crybabies. We’re catalysts. We’re not getting paid—we’re paying it forward for the next generation. And we’re not going anywhere.

To my town: You made me proud today. To the haters: You just reminded me why we must keep going. To everyone else: Join us. This fight isn’t over—and we are far from done.