Silent Sentinel

Make America Good Again

I never claimed to be in the know, but each day the blinders are slipping, and my field of view is widening.

There was a time I couldn't understand how anyone could support a man who lies so openly. Who twists reality without shame. But slowly, I started to see something I hadn't before:

MAGA isn't just a political movement. It's a cry from people who feel unseen, unheard, and left behind. People who are yearning for meaning, for identity, for a place to belong.

And while I don't agree with the direction they've taken, I can't ignore the pain and disillusionment that opened the door to it. Because I've felt it too, that ache to be part of something bigger than myself, something that offers dignity, purpose, and hope.

But the truth is this: Trump's policies are not built on hope. They're built on fear. On cruelty. On the idea that power should serve the powerful.

They're policies that benefit the few, not the many. That celebrate “winning” even though it means abandoning millions . Policies that rip apart the institutions meant to shield us from corporate greed, then turn their wrath on the most vulnerable among us- the elderly, the children, the working poor.

When immigrants are snatched off the streets and deported without due process, we're told it's about national security. But I invite you to look at it through another lens.

Imagine one of those Venezuelan immigrants wasn't a gang member. No record. Just a good person, desperate for safety and survival. Now imagine they're arrested, shackled and whisked away to a foreign country, locked in a private prison, forgotten.

Now take it one step further – what if that person was you?

This is not left vs right or blue vs red. We are not enemies. We are neighbors. Workers. Parents. Dreamers. We don't have to agree on everything, but we can agree that every human being deserves dignity, fairness, and a chance to thrive.

The truth is, the future isn't written yet. But every voice, every act of courage, every honest conversation helps shape what comes next.

Let's reject the politics of fear and return to the politics of people. Let's stop fighting over who deserves a seat at the table,and start building a bigger table.

It's our country. It's our future. And it's our time to reclaim it.

America First was always a flawed concept because those who conceived it have a flawed view of greatness.

America's greatness has never been about power or control. It has always been about openness. About reaching out, not closing in. About welcoming those willing to sacrifice everything familiar for the chance to build something better. Not just for themselves, but for their children, their neighbors, and for the country they chose to believe in.

People who are willing to do the work. To carry hope on their backs, to build with their hands, to contribute with heart. That is what made America great.

Now, those same people arrive to find the door slammed shut. And while some cheer this as victory, it is no triumph. It is a loss. A loss of our values. A loss of our soul.

So I propose something better: Let's make America good again.

Let's talk to one another again. Let's pull up our sleeves and do the hard work of repairing what's been broken. It's undeniable: Americans want change. But if we stay divided, the people will lose – and the few will win. We cannot allow that to happen.

” Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”

The mother of exiles doesn't hold her lamp out for the elite with $5 million golden visas. She calls to those who have known struggle. Who have felt the grip of hunger. Who know what it is to work your fingers to the bone all day and go to bed exhausted-just to get up and do it all over again tomorrow. Who want only a life of fairness, truth, dignity, and freedom. So let's reclaim that light. Let's lift the lamp together and light the way forward, not just for ourselves, but for each other. To illuminate the path back to common sense, to decency, to make America good again.

Discuss...

Silent Sentinel
“The watchman has spoken. Let the sleeper awaken.”
Clarity is the beginning of resistance.
[More articles] (https://write.as/silent-sentinel)

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The GOP War on Workers: Making the Struggle Worse

They said it wouldn't happen. That Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid were untouchable. That no politician, Republican or Democrat would dare touch the programs millions of Americans rely on.

But here we are.

Right now, Republican lawmakers are pushing for cuts that could strip healthcare from millions, gut Social Security for retirees, and leave working class Americans with nothing to fall back on. The worst part is that many of the hardest hit districts are represented by the very Republicans who claim to protect these programs while working to dismantle them. Don't buy in to the big lie.

While they promise to protect these programs, their actions, from opposing efforts to lower healthcare costs to threatening critical funding – are pushing millions of Americans toward financial ruin. And the hardest hit communities? Many of them are the same Republican led districts that rely most on these safety nets.

At the heart of this fight is a simple question: Why are Republican lawmakers-funded by billionaires-so desperate to gut social programs? I'm so glad you asked. Here is something for you to consider.

Medicare and Medicaid Under Attack

Marjorie Taylor Greene and the GOP's Hostility Toward Healthcare

Few Republicans have been as open in their disdain for public healthcare programs as Marjorie Taylor Greene:

She called Medicare a “socialist program” and attacked President Biden's efforts to enhance it. She opposed lowering Medicare costs and voted against measures that would cap insulin prices for seniors, Allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, and lower healthcare expenses for millions of Americans. She claims the Republicans have “zero plans” to cut Social Security (even her denials are lazy and unbelievable) yet the policies she supports threaten it's very existence.

Medicaid cuts: A Disaster For Working Families

If Republicans succeed in slashing Medicaid millions of low income families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities will lose coverage. States will be forced to either raise taxes or slash healthcare services to compensate for loss of federal funding. Rural hospitals will shut down, forcing people to travel hours for medical care while decreasing the availability of life saving services. Disabled individuals will lose home care assistance, leaving many without life saving support.

Social Security Cuts: A Direct Attack on Seniors

Millions of seniors could be pushed deeper into poverty, and if Social Security is their only source of income? What little retirement security they had would disappear. Forcing elderly Americans to work longer- even those who are physically barely able. Senior homelessness would skyrocket as seniors are put out of nursing homes they can no longer afford. And many others would not be able to afford rent or even enough food.

So why are Billionaires so invested in destroying these programs?

They want more tax cuts. Most billionaires don't believe in social programs because they get in the way of tax cuts for the rich. The 2017 Trump tax cuts slashed corporate and income taxes, mostly benefiting billionaires, while adding trillions to the deficit. Now Republicans use the same deficit they created as an excuse to push for cuts to Social Security and Medicaid. Middle class tax cuts from the same law expired this year- but tax cuts for corporations were permanent. Let that sink in.

Weakening the Safety Net=More Corporate Control Over Workers

A weaker safety net forces workers to accept lower wages, worse conditions, and fewer benefits out of desperation. Medicaid cuts would strip millions of healthcare, leaving many with no choice but to take any job just to get employer based insurance. Cutting Social Security would force millions of seniors and disabled Americans back into the workforce, taking low wage jobs with little protection.

Cutting social programs doesn't end dependency. It just shifts it onto businesses that control wages, healthcare, and employment. Without government programs, many people would have to work for low wages just to stay alive. The most vulnerable among us, those who cannot work will be left to die in poverty.

Billionaires do not care about the average Americans everyday problems, because everything looks beautiful from their ivory towers.

How These Cuts Will Wreck the Economy

Workers will be hit the hardest. Millions of low wage workers will lose their health insurance if Medicaid is cut. Mass layoffs in hospitals and clinics will follow, leading to shortages of doctors, nurses, and healthcare staff. Medical bankruptcies will surge, forcing families into crushing debt just to cover the basics. Local economies will collapse. Retirees help sustain small businesses in their communities. Without Social Security, local economies will shrink. States will face financial crises, forcing impossible choices between funding healthcare or cutting other essential programs.

More Inequality, More Death

The wealthiest Americans will keep their tax breaks, while working class and elderly citizens lose their safety nets. Less preventative care will lead to higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and preventable deaths. Maternal mortality will rise, as fewer women have access to prenatal and maternity care. More Americans will delay or skip doctor visits , leading to worsening health outcomes across all age groups.

Red States Will Suffer the Most

Many rural and red state districts depend on Medicaid as a lifeline. If these cuts go through, these areas-often Republican strongholds- will be the most devastated. Texas already has the highest rate of uninsured children in the U.S. 12%, many of whom qualify for Medicaid but are now at risk of never getting coverage. Kentucky, West Virginia, and Louisiana. All states with high Medicaid enrollment would see severe spikes in uninsured rates. Rural hospitals in Republican districts will shut down, worsening access across the South and Midwest.

The Political Fallout: The Damage Will Be Done

Republicans pushing for these cuts will face backlash, but by then it will be too late. Once safety net programs are gutted, restoring them becomes nearly impossible. The fabric of American life will change, and not for the better. This isn't just about numbers. These cuts mean real people losing their homes, their healthcare, and their ability to survive.

T he Time to Fight Is Now

If you're reading this, chances are you or someone you love will feel the impact of these cuts. The billionaires pushing for these policies aren't going to stop unless we make them.

Here's what you can do:

Call your representatives – demand answers and accountability

Spread the word – talk to your friends, family, and coworkers. Share this article, post on social media, and make sure people understand what's at stake.

Attend town halls, rallies, organize, join protests. Whatever you can do to help build momentum for real change.

Support candidates who will protect Social Security and Medicaid. This isn't about party loyalty; it's about survival, vote accordingly – politicians who push these cuts must be held responsible at the ballot box.

Refuse to be silent. Billionaires and their allies count on people being too overwhelmed to fight back. Prove them wrong.

The GOP's war on workers is making the struggle worse. This is a direct attack on the most vulnerable Americans. If we don't fight back now, when? When will you stand up and say: Enough.

Discuss...

Silent Sentinel
“The watchman has spoken. Let the sleeper awaken.”
Clarity is the beginning of resistance.
[More articles] (https://write.as/silent-sentinel)

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“Stand Up. Fight Back. Freedom Isn't Free.”

I can't point to just one moment that made me realize something was wrong. It wasn't a single event, a speech, or a policy change. It was the overwhelming flood of executive orders, reckless statements, and outright lies in the first few days of this new Trump administration. That's what shell shocked me out of my complacency.

I had never been what I'd call 'political.' In fact, I had stopped watching the news years ago, tired of the endless cycle of bad news, bias, and hidden agendas. It all felt like noise, so I tuned it out and just tried to live my life.

But this time, something was different. Trump had always been polarizing, but what I saw unfolding in those first few days wasn't just politics as usual. This wasn't the same Trump from 2016. This was something else. Something none of us can afford to ignore.

Regardless of party, regardless of class, color, or gender, we all feel it – the shift. We are no longer just debating policies. This moment is reshaping families, friendships, and the very fabric of our country.

I still struggle with the fact that we are all witnessing the same events unfold, but experiencing them in vastly different ways. Some welcome this change. They cheer on the rhetoric, the posturing, and the chainsaw approach being taken to dismantle our government. They see it as long overdue reform.

Meanwhile, government workers, many of them experts in their fields, are being illegally fired under the pretense that they are unqualified or unnecessary. There is no waste, fraud, or abuse here. These are not incompetent bureaucrats being removed to make government run more efficiently. This purge does the exact opposite. So I have to ask,why?

Others feel fear and disillusionment as they watch facts being disregarded and history rewritten in real time. The lie that the election was stolen still persists, despite all evidence to the contrary. January 6th, the storming of the Capitol is being re-framed as patriotism. People died that day. And to this administration, that fact is barely a footnote.

It should have been a warning to all of us. A cautionary tale to ensure that it never happens again. Instead, it's being turned into a rallying cry.

For many, this moment feels overwhelming. The relentless daily onslaught of news, the open hostility toward our closest allies, Canada and Mexico, and the unhinged statements about taking Gaza, Greenland, and the Panama Canal, as if these are simply prizes to be seized. These are not just reckless words. They are thinly veiled declarations of war against nations that have done nothing to us. And they are coming from a president who campaigned on bringing peace.

Then there's the tariff war, a self inflicted economic wound that economists overwhelmingly agree is dragging us into a recession. Yet a large percentage of this country still believes that foreign nations pay these tariffs and that somehow, they will make us rich. We are being gaslit at every turn.

And now, DEIA initiatives are under attack. The claim? That they promote reverse discrimination, lower standards, and reinforce division. The reality? DEIA was never about disadvantaging anyone. It's goal is to create more diverse, representative workplaces by opening doors for women,minorities, and disabled individuals who were historically denied access to education, jobs, and leadership positions. It is about expanding opportunity, not replacing merit. Eliminating DEIA doesn't “drain the swamp” it drains the talent pool. To our detriment.

One of the reasons I'm writing this is because I can't even talk about it, not with the people closest to me. Not because they support Trump, they don't, but because the reality is so uncomfortable that it's easier to avoid than to confront it. That silence made everything worse. The more I saw, the more I felt overwhelmed. Trapped in my own thoughts, unable to express what was building inside me. It reached a breaking point where I had so much anxiety built up that I needed an outlet.

And I wonder, how many others are experiencing this? How many are sitting with that same unease, knowing something is wrong but feeling like they cant talk about it?

This has been my revelation. I was asleep. This is my awakening. The illusion of the world I thought I knew is shattering piece by piece, press conference by press conference, executive order by executive order. And yet,even now, I still hear people ridiculing Trump, calling him an idiot, failing to see the bigger picture. They don't realize that while they laugh, he is expanding presidential power in ways that are unprecedented and dangerous. That our status on the world stage has diminished.

The never ending news cycles seem to be a tool of distraction keeping our attention on the latest scandal. While behind the scenes, DOGE is gutting the government, and Elon Musk is dismantling institutions in ways we may never recover from. An unelected billionaire bureaucrat has his hands on the levers of power. He openly says that Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security should be eliminated. Republicans in Congress sit on their hands, pretending not to hear him. Democrats have no effective response.

And that is infuriating.

The system of government the founding fathers created relies on an active, informed, and engaged citizenry. They were brilliant yet flawed men. They declared that all men are created equal while owning slaves that were considered 3/5 of a person and that is deplorable. But the Constitution has held this democracy together for over 200 years and look how far we have come since that time.

Great men have ushered in real, lasting change for the better. Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery, securing freedom for millions and shaping the future of America. Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced Social Security, a safety net that has protected generations of Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement transformed a grassroots cry for justice into a wave of change that secured freedoms we all benefit from today.

Great men have a habit of showing up when needed.

But Donald Trump is not that man.

His policies will reverse course, undoing the hard won victories that people across this nation have fought for, and we have taken them for granted for too long. I think of the quote from Julius Malema “ we stand on the shoulders of the giants who confronted the establishment with their very lives, and we are willing to follow in their footsteps”

This moment isn't just about leaders, it's about all of us. Democracy doesn't survive without action. Call your representatives. Speak out, even when it's uncomfortable. Join protests. Organize. Demand accountability. This is how we honor those who came before us and fought for our rights, but did not live long enough to enjoy them.

No one can afford to sit on the sidelines. We must forgive our errant brothers and sisters who sincerely regret voting against their own interests and ours. The stakes are too high. We must drown out the noise with a new chant.

Stand up. Fight back. Freedom isn't free No Musk. No Trump. This is our Democracy

Discuss...

Silent Sentinel
“The watchman has spoken. Let the sleeper awaken.”
Clarity is the beginning of resistance.
[More articles] (https://write.as/silent-sentinel)

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Ode to DOGE: The Department of Government Elimination

It is hard to believe that it has only been seven weeks since inauguration day. In that short time, the 47th President's vision of “ The dawn of America's Golden Age” has begun to take shape, not as a glorious renewal, but as something darker with a sense of foreboding. Very few of us are prepared for what that vision may be.

DOGE, the so called Department of Government Efficiency seems to be anything but efficient. For example, In just a few weeks DOGE has implemented mass firings across key federal agencies with total disregard for standard reduction in force (RIF) practices. Employee tenure, veteran status, and performance ratings notwithstanding.

They have frozen hiring and fired thousands of IRS workers at the beginning of tax season, but the disruption isn't limited to tax enforcement. It extends to scientific research as well. Funding for programs like the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) has been cut. Programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have been pivotal in advancing scientific knowledge, and training the next generation of researchers. Firing some of the top minds researching cures for cancer and many other diseases to save money seems counterintuitive to say the least.

Many meteorologists and satellite specialists from the National Weather Service (NWS) have been fired as we approach tornado and hurricane season. This undermines the agencies ability to warn citizens of natural disasters and storms in a timely fashion.

Make no mistake, this is a task that requires precision but Musk has taken his “chainsaw for bureaucracy” and decimated the ranks of civil service. Exhibiting a carelessness that makes one ask “ how does firing those responsible for predicting life threatening weather events serve efficiency in any way?

Initially DOGE's actions seemed chaotic. Until you consider who stands to benefit from a hollowed out government. When looking through that lens, these actions seem less about efficiency and more about weakening public institutions to clear a path for privatization, where billionaires stand to profit at the public's expense. Efficiency was never the endgame, and the evidence suggests DOGE is intentionally undermining government agencies from within. Then a logical conclusion is that their true mission is to systematically dismantle the very government it claims to make more efficient.

Then to make matters worse, many if not all Republicans in Congress seem more focused on protecting the billionaires who fund their campaigns than representing the people who actually pay their $174,000 salaries. Some in Congress rail against federal workers, saying “ Federal workers do not deserve their jobs” while collecting six figure checks each year. All while ignoring the fact that they are federal workers themselves. This is the height of hypocrisy.

This isn't about efficiency. It's about gutting public services until they are sold off, and replaced by 'for profit' alternatives that answer only to shareholders. Imagine the Post Office being run by a profit driven entity that sends you a bill every month for delivering your mail, like it's a Netflix account. What happens when the board of directors decide that most of the rural routes are not profitable and they choose to cut your services to boost profits? Corporations do not value public benefit over their own bottom line. Then you have Elon Musk offering to send four thousand Starlink satellites to the FAA “free of charge” in a bid to replace verizon as the contractor for the upgrade to the air traffic control system.

Musk also supplied nearly 3700 units to Ukraine, where they play a crucial role in military communications. Yet he has openly acknowledged that if he shut down Starlink , Ukraine's frontline would collapse, raising questions about his unchecked power over critical infrastructure. Is this really who you want controlling our air traffic control system? Privatizing The FAA could lead to cost cutting, fewer safety regulations, and would be a threat to national security.

The bottom line is that with every agency that DOGE interferes with, it shows their hand, that the real endgame isn't smaller government. It's no government at all. A post Constitutional corporate takeover where we have a CEO instead of a President. If this is their definition of efficiency then maybe it's time to call DOGE what it really is, a blueprint for dismantling democracy.

That would make DOGE more like the “ Department of Government Elimination”

Discuss...

Silent Sentinel
“The watchman has spoken. Let the sleeper awaken.”
Clarity is the beginning of resistance.
[More articles] (https://write.as/silent-sentinel)

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  When the Constitution becomes unconstitutional:The Trump Doctrine

The United States Constitution has served as the bedrock of our nations democratic framework for 236 years. Outlining the separation of powers between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The appointments clause in Article 2 requires Senate consent for certain federal appointments which by design, ensures a balance of power. The U.S. government has a system of checks and balances to make sure no branch gets too much power.

One of these checks is the Senate's role in approving or rejecting certain appointments. The Trump administration is not only challenging the Senate's power but attempting to bypass this safeguard completely. Case in point, Elon Musk has been appointed by Trump as the head of the so called department of government efficiency (DOGE) and has been designated as a special government employee (SGE), which is not required to be confirmed by the senate and thereby allows him to bypass the scrutiny of a formal confirmation hearing.

Additionally Musk will be allowed to maintain his leadership role at Tesla, Space X, and his other businesses. There are also less stringent requirements for financial disclosures and conflict of interest rules. As an SGE, Musk has access to classified information, federal resources, and policymakers which raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest, especially with his extensive business dealings abroad.

(SGE) status allows him to wield major influence over policy decisions without being directly accountable to Congress or the American public. The core issue is that Trump has elevated Musk to a position that influences policy that will directly benefit his companies that have massive contracts with the government and there is no oversight. This undermines fair competition and allows him to potentially block business rivals from securing government contracts. Effectively pulling up the ladder behind him.

In the space of seven weeks the Trump administration has been waging a war to erode the protections of the Constitution “ at levels never seen before” In essence Trump's move not only attempts to circumvent oversight but also threatens to erode the very foundation of checks and balances that preserve American democracy.

Trump has given this position to Musk and as the de facto head of DOGE the alleged goal was to find waste, fraud, and abuse in the government and eliminate such aberrations. Instead he has effectively seized control over federal spending from Congress by stopping all funds allocated to the US Agency for International Development attempting to abolish USAID, He has all but shuttered the Consumer Financial Protection Board (CFPB), and the Department of Education.

He is lining his pockets with taxpayer money while simultaneously creating hardship for Americans by attacking the federal workforce and firing government workers without regard to their qualifications. They are not trimming the fat they are amputating whole limbs from the body of government at a breakneck pace with no regard for the damage this is causing.

President Trump and Elon Musk along with the rest of the MAGA elite in the cabinet seems content to turn a blind eye to the fact that this is all quite unconstitutional. In addition to this, republican members of Congress seem to want to have plausible deniability over the actions of Musk. They want it to appear as if there is nothing they can do as he wantonly continues his slash and burn attack on government that is hurting all U.S. citizens, their constituents.

What it boils down to is essentially this. An unelected, minimally vetted foreign billionaire has been loosed in the hallowed halls of the Capitol and gifted more power than the President of the United States. Trump doesn't have the ability to abolish agencies that Congress established. So how in the world can anyone come to the conclusion that a Special Government Employee has that power? Congress has the power of the purse, not DOGE.

Republicans in the cabinet, Senate, and House will not be remembered kindly for neglecting their oath to the Constitution and allowing an unelected dilettante to ride roughshod over the Constitution and the vision of the founding fathers that were designed to preclude this particular kind of executive overreach.

This is an existential threat to the foundations of governance. Allowing one man's business interests to dictate national policy is not just dangerous it is unconstitutional. Forget about political parties and personal preferences. The undermining of the most successful democracy in recorded history is happening before our very eyes.

This is a call to action for every citizen to stand and fight for our rights and defend the Constitution that has allowed us here in America to enjoy freedoms that people in other parts of the world can only dream of.

Abraham Lincoln's words have never rung more true “government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth” or to quote another president “ You better move fast or you're not gonna have a country left”

If our leaders refuse to act, it falls to us- the people- to demand accountability, transparency,and a return to the principles that have guided this nation for over two centuries.

Discuss...

Silent Sentinel
“The watchman has spoken. Let the sleeper awaken.”
Clarity is the beginning of resistance.
[More articles] (https://write.as/silent-sentinel)

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SNL on politics

In recent years, mainstream media and popular television shows like Saturday Night Live have increasingly resorted to mocking MAGA supporters with biting satire and ridicule. While these portrayals may resonate with a segment of the population, I believe this is a mistake. This is not only unproductive but potentially dangerous for our country's future.

Mockery and ridicule do not change minds, they entrench them. When media figures portray MAGA supporters as buffoons or extremists, it only deepens the divide, fueling resentment and alienation. For many who support Trump, these skits confirm a long held belief that the so called “mainstream” does not understand or respect them. This only strengthens their resolve and creates an echo chamber where misinformation can thrive unchallenged.

Moreover, dismissing a significant portion of the electorate with derision prevents us from addressing the underlying causes of their discontent. The focus must shift to the real betrayal: how the MAGA elite have misled their base, exploiting their fears while serving the interests of the ultra wealthy. It is vital to expose this hypocrisy, not through insults but by presenting the truth plainly and persistently.

We need a message that resonates emotionally without sacrificing integrity. Rather than belittle, we should adopt a strategy that combines truth with a sense of shared identity and purpose. Highlighting how the policies of MAGA elites harm their own constituents could help bridge the gap. By redirecting anger toward the real sources of corruption and focusing on common ground such as economic fairness, healthcare, and accountability we can begin to build a broader coalition for change.

In a time when disinformation spreads rapidly, the left must also evolve its messaging. This means embracing clear, emotionally resonant narratives that counter lies with truth, not condescension. We cannot afford to write off millions of our fellow citizens as hopelessly lost. Instead, we must engage them with respect and an honest accounting of how they have been deceived.

Ultimately, a strong nation finds strength in unity, not division. It is time for our media to rethink its approach and for all of us to focus on bringing Americans together with a message of truth, integrity, and real solutions for the challenges we face.

Discuss...

Silent Sentinel
“The watchman has spoken. Let the sleeper awaken.”
Clarity is the beginning of resistance.
[More articles] (https://write.as/silent-sentinel)

Share this post:

If this message resonates, share it. The truth must not be silenced.