Fear Is Being Used Against Us

The next promises to reopen it again. Meanwhile, families live with uncertainty and anxiety, and no one is held accountable for the impact of these decisions. Instead, the blame shifts toward our communities. That is not leadership. We deserve respect.

One side benefits from fear if people leave the USA on their own. The other benefits from fear and anger if voters react and change course in the next election. Either way, fear is the tool, and our community pays the price. Nothing new here in politics, yet these are human beings. The person in charge opens the door and signals an invitation to come, offering perks like insurance and free travel to a final destination, and then the next one turns around and treats them like a problem. One side sees future voters and favorable census numbers in 2030 to maintain seats in Congress and the Electoral College for the President, believing this new wave of invited and disinvited residents aligns with one side’s politics. Meanwhile, the other side benefits from the pressure in blue states because Americans are moving south in the millions, shifting the country’s power toward the southern states.

All in all, we are in the middle of a power fight. Yet to our community, especially our students and families, know this: you are not alone. You are not invisible. You deserve the truth, even though it may be dangerous to say publicly. You are not defined by political rhetoric.

These are serious times, but fear cannot be our foundation. Optimism, responsibility, and unity must be. I have lived through many ups and downs at Zoni over the last 36 years, and I have learned one clear lesson: repeating fear only creates more fear. Words matter. What we say shapes how people feel and how they act. We move forward with strength, faith, dignity, and hope.