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As of today, I am back from my little hiatus. But worry not, I am committed and am getting out all the new content that you are sure to love. Now, let's talk about my title. In this post, I'll be giving you a chai recipe while discussing the connection between my Desi roots and modern American politics. Chai Concentrate 1 Cup Water Two Chai Bags Cinnamon Cloves Maple Syrup Take your water and the chai bags. Microwave the chai in the water for one minute. Then, remove the chai bags after extracting the chai into the water. Now, pour in a little maple syrup. After that, sprinkle in some of the cinnamon and cloves. Viola, chai concentrate. You can just put this in the fridge and use it when you want. You could make a big batch and have a gallon of chai concentrate ready whenever, I don't judge. Or, you could be like me and use it right now. When you do decide to drink it, you cannot just drink the concentrate; you need milk. Get some milk, about a cup of it, and mix it with your mixture. Microwave that for another minute because your milk made it cool again. Unless you want iced chai, then add some ice cubes instead. Viola, again, now you have a version that was edible in the way God intended it to be. Okay, great, you have your chai. Sip with me as I tell you why you have just been sent on this side-quest. You see, I'm Pakistani-American. Do not be mistaken, I was born in Alabama. My dad was born in New York. My mom got citizenship before I was born. I am very legal, for the record, Mr. Trump. But I digress. In Desi culture, chai is huge. Chai is comfort, a celebration, casual, and anything that can fit in between. I love chai. I love making chai, and I love going to my grandma's house where she makes her own. There's something so special about the way her's tastes. I also love drinking chai at Eid events. This segways into my first situation of fighting oppression that I'm faced with when we look at my roots. Being Muslim. I get a lot of Islamophobia, and I know that now, it's only going to get worse if not presented at a federal level. However, we are not far off considering Anti-Semitism is already being proudly displayed in the Presidential light. Even though it was not the President, it was his buddy, or who used to be his buddy, and neither of them seemed as upset as the public is about it. For the record, I think it is horrible. Let me make one obvious thing blindingly clear: Elon Musk is a bad person. No one in this whole administration is amazing, but since Elon Musk has created hateful acts like this so blatantly, I think it's okay to point out. So, how can a religion be targeted? It's unconstitutional. Right...? Allow me to remind you of Mr. President's little scare tactic from his last term. He banned the predominantly Muslim countries from traveling to the U.S. It was only for a day or two, and he made it back to normal. It was more of a doing it just to show that he wanted to and could if no one stopped him. But can we stop him now? I don't think so. What does that really entail? I wish I could give a clear, definite answer, but I really can't. Speaking of Muslim countries, I'm Pakistani-American, as I've said. And that's my second point. I can't and won't lie, Pakistan is not a perfect country, but the hate that it receives from Trump and his side is uncalled for and an excuse for racism. But now, my identity has made it more and more scary to exist in our country, when the politicians at the top look down at me with hate and disdain, for just existing. Politicians, I beg you, be human, be humane, I'm one of you, I promise. How bad does it have to be that adults are making young people like me wake up with tears and fear, for the ideology they're sharing? When I hear Trump talk about immigrants, and I read about what's happening to refugees, I think about my mother. I think about my grandparents. I hear about discrimination with DEI, and I think about my father. I see myself when I hear about the struggles of young people of color, just trying to keep their heads afloat at school while people in bigger positions than we are are trying to drown us out, constantly pouring gallon after gallon of water over us, showering us. I said in the title, 'fighting' oppression, so how do I fight it? It's hard, it is, and as tough as I want to seem, I can't lie about it. For my birthday, I donated money to my mosque, not like I'm looking for credit or to be a savior, it's just an example of something other Muslims can do. Even if you aren't Muslim, you can donate money to communities helping with foreign countries, religious struggles, war relief, and immigrants. You can also speak up in general. My way of doing that is writing a blog about all these struggles. You can get in touch with your local Democratic party, even if you aren't explicitly a Democrat, you can see if they have any upcoming protests or marches that you find yourself in support of enough to attend. It will pass, that much I can pray for. It will pass, and we will get through it, but we still have to give effort and fight through it in order for it to pass.

Podcasts have seen a significant shift in becoming right-wing conservative This has led to Donald Trump winning the 2024 election Explained below why it's podcasts that have seen the change in conservatism When I received my Spotify Wrapped, the site then provided a list of this year's top podcasters. The least I can say is that there was an overwhelming amount of right-wing podcasters. After seeing two Reddit posts asking why this is and seeing it for myself, I was obliged to the urge to research it. Shows The really big ones are well-known, so you'll recognize names like Joe Rogan, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, The Ryan Show, The Charlie Kirk Show, and Candace Owens. However, one of the many reasons these podcasts gain monetization and popularity in the formats that they reside in is hate-watch views. So rather than looking into these podcasts, it would be better to listen to better pieces of media that explain the right-wing's casts in digestible clips. Some of the shows you should look into, if you are interested in researching this topic yourself, would be I Don't Speak German , Paranoid Strain , QAA , Behind the Bastards, and Love on the Media. I'll link a playlist of all of those in this post. Radio Going back to the title of this post, why are the top podcasts currently right-wing? There are a few reasons. First, we have the format transfer of AM/Talk Radio. What I mean is that AM or Talk Radio shows were mostly right-wing. I say were because they've declined in popularity following our more modernized technology. So if there's no one to listen to the radio, they have to choose a new format to take their views to. The new format is podcasts. They've migrated over from preaching using radio waves, over to your Spotify. Contribution This has a big contribution to Trump winning. Rather than TV news or talk shows, social media, and podcasts influence voters the most. As I've seen people saying, 2016/2020 were the elections of social media, where Instagram and TikTok influenced voters the most. This last year, 2024, was the election of podcasts. What was put out in podcasts convinced voters the most. And generally, people prefer an enjoyable base rather than real television news. More people like listening to Joe Rogan because his content is more rounded, rather than being boring by purely discussing politics. These channels combine entertainment and politics. According to Yahoo , people trust the news they hear on these podcasts more than news from other sources. Obviously, these podcasts share a lot of misinformation and conspiracies whilst promoting Trump, but their listeners don't know that. So it's no coincidence that right-wing podcasts were the most popular podcasts the same year that Trump won. Liberal's lack of a medium Podcasts are the Conservative's medium. It's their format for spreading their political beliefs. This is an advantage to them because Liberals do not have a medium that they inarguably dominate. (Though, the average conservative would say they own all media.) So why is podcasting the medium for Republicans? They have professions that allow them to be able to consume media by multi-tasking, listening, and working in their demographically labor-intensive jobs. Conclusion In this short post, it's easy to figure out what role podcasting played in the election. Don't worry, you're not alone in rolling your eyes every time you scroll past some clip of an ill-informed individual talking into a microphone about a conservative topic, mixing up facts so they sound more informed than the "crazy liberals." However, it provides a little more clarity to put together the frequency of seeing these podcasts everywhere and the current political climate. The conservatives are using their podcast medium and the popularity of it to share their opinions, allowing Trump to win last November. So, my question stands: what medium should the liberals use? https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3K36GcsqYmfpyhFt3oao66

Donald Trump is elected to be the President of the United States in the 2024 election Trump has many policies to put into action once he officially reaches office As I’ve been watching many Americans and interestingly, people spectating the US internationally, watch Trump’s presidency, there seems to be a commonly conspired question: What can or will Donald Trump do in his first 100 days as the president of the United States of America? Even though he hasn’t specifically stated, to my knowledge, that he is going to directly implement Project 2025, he has acknowledged his favor towards some of the initiative’s policies, as well as electing the people who are planning to implement it. While this is the worst-case scenario and, at the moment, hypothetical, there are some other choices that he has publicly endorsed and if he can find a way, pursue. So what has he declared that he will actually do? I made a list of all of the possibilities. These include deportation, abolishing his personal criminal cases, excusing criminal claims against participants of January 6, border tariffs, tax cuts (contradicting the last point), education (specifically undoing the strides made by the Biden administration), and mass unemployment. Now this is a big and in my personal opinion, a monumental amount of claims that means a lot for America. Deportations First and most feared for immigrants and up to 2nd generation Americans (maybe more), Trump’s mass deportations . As he has confirmed on Truth Social, he is prepared and planning on declaring a national emergency and utilizing military assistance to complete mass deportations. Just a reminder that this is planned to affect 11 million people. My mom is an immigrant from Kuwait but is currently a citizen. My dad was born in New York but his parents and my mom’s parents (all of my grandparents) were born in Pakistan. I was born in the US and am a birth citizen but I fear that myself, my family, and definitely my friends, are at risk of being one of those 11 million people . I smack my face at the irony of the Truth Social user claiming, “ GOOD NEWS ”. And while this would seem like a dystopian worst-case, it gets even more worrisome. There’s a threat that the people affected will go to “ detention camps ,” sound a little bit familiar? To make matters worse, this is a day-one goal. Criminal Cases At the time of this article, it is fairly new news that Trump’s criminal cases involving January 6 have been dropped by Jack Smith . January 6 was a day of hate when President-Elect Donald Trump sent his supporters to raid the US Capitol in protest of the 2020 election results. Previously, Trump was being charged for this offense, as the active participants in the riot were already (mostly) arrested. Now , Trump is being freed of these claims and once elected, will work to free those of his followers convicted because of the event. This is severely disheartening but as bad as it is to say, not the most out of our concerns, considering the other policies Trump has threatened his country with. Tax This section covers two issues: border tariffs and tax cuts. Also at the time of writing this, it’d have been one day since we found out about Trump’s plan to put a 25% tariff on the Canadian and Mexican borders . This is a politically and economically dull proposition and will harm major imports for America and more personally, our relationships with our neighboring countries. Now, for the reason many people voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 election, tax cuts. What many of his supporters fail to notice is that the inflation from the 2020-2024 term was worldwide and not exclusively to Prediant Biden’s doing. Oblivious to that fact, they voted for Trump in hopes of the economy going back to the way it was in 2016, an impossible feat, mind you. Keep notice that Vice President Harris also proposed ideas to help the economy and taxes during her campaign in a more practical manner. However, she was not in charge in 2016 and that makes all the difference. Education Speaking of efforts made by the Biden/Harris administration, Trump holds goals to eliminate ways the 2020-2024 President has bettered education with what many of his supporters believe to be the “liberal agenda.” The most concerning portion of his plan is to completely eliminate the Department of Education fully, advancing his anti-tax initiative, but at what cost ? There is a lack of organization to keep in mind if this does go through, as well as many other issues. I think it’s fair to assume that this has something to do with Biden’s acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community in the American public school environment, which will be completely undone by the sentiment of homo/transphobia. Unemployment My final point is the number of government workers potentially unemployed by Donald Trump in the near future due to his soon-to-be presidency. This can happen for a multitude of reasons, some being because of his hopeful economic policies , some being affected by the mass deportations , people working in certain aspects of the education department, and people who were employed due to the Biden administration. This last point is more personal to me and I’ll go more into depth about what that entails. I know someone who holds a high-profile job with the government who was employed because of the CHIPS and Science Act . This was an act put into place by President Biden. It is in Trump’s best interest to abolish this act and its “consequences.” Because of this, many people who hold a job because of this act and other efforts made by the Biden/Harris administration face the threat of unemployment along with so many other Americans.

Donald Trump won the 2024 election 2.1% of voters submitted an independent or third-party vote The 2024 United States presidential election has passed and now there is no debating Donald Trump's victory.  While this might be hard for many avid supporters of the opposing option, t his has raised awareness of one of the faults that contributed to his victory : the voting of third-party candidates. Even though many people have believed their vote to be a form of protest or a message, it might have helped their least favorable candidate's campaign and elected presidency. While their effects are being easily undermined, their ultimate impacts on the election are undeniable and helped the force of electing a man who stands for everything they meant to speak out against. The Consequences of a Divided Vote As we know, every vote matters . But how much did people really utilize that sentiment in the 2024 election, when it mattered? This election presented democrats and more broadly, the people, with the opportunity to preserve democracy. Third-party candidates mean well in presenting their opinions but rarely have a real chance of winning. However, while the votes they received did not impact their own chance of winning, it shifted the trajectory of the election . A common argument from third-party voters is that they didn’t want to choose between two "bad" options. Many voters of this party were not convinced by either candidate but rather believed that neither could offer the change they wanted represented. Some voted for progressive third-party candidates like Cornel West or the Green Party's candidate , while others leaned toward more libertarian choices. However, in a two-party system, casting a vote for a candidate who has no chance of winning can have serious consequences. Specifically, when the two main parties are so opposed and politically competitive with each other in their policies . In battleground states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Georgia, the margin of victory was razor-thin. In these states, the percentage of third-party votes was more than enough to have tipped the scale in favor of Trump. The Myth of the "Protest Vote" For many and most third-party voters , their decision was made as a form of protest or showing their disdain for the two major options. The "they both suck/I don't support either" people. The argument they showcase is that with their vote, they're representing the need for reform . However, the uncomfortable truth to face is that these little acts of protest won't do anything in their favor in a general election to create change. This does not create a movement but instead, it creates a current against the policies they need. By voting third-party, especially in a swing state, this only helps to elect Donald Trump. A man who wants to backtrack on the impacts of any progressive goals and expresses his clear disinterest in climate, justice, and overall policies that independent voters strive for. The best word that comes to mind for the cause/effect of these votes is counterproductive . When they wanted to make a statement, they instead did the opposite of their purpose and led Trump into the Whitehouse so he can pass issues that are differing from the independent opinions. Conclusion Votes are not taken lightly and this election has proven it more so than ever. Third-party votes should not be seen as an innocent form of protest . As a need for political movement is by all means important, we have to reflect on the consequences of our supposed actions and the contradictions they may unveil themselves as. As said before, the Trump agenda is probably the last thing they would consider progressive towards their goals. Acts of protest like this will not get us anywhere, we will move forward and better ourselves through preparation and education and we can and will do better in 2028.

Vice President and Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris Democratic Party Vice President Harris, as we've seen this past week, has conceded in response to the election results. However, people are still raising questions about her policies and where she stands on the political spectrum . Some far-right people might think she's too liberal . While, meanwhile, far-left self acclaimed liberals might say she isn't enough . So with facts: How liberal is Kamala Harris? What do liberals think? From what I've noticed, there are two sects of liberals divided on Kamala Harris. There are the ones that for the sake of this article, we'll refer to as L1 (Liberal #1). L1s are the ones that have and are almost fully supporting and backing Kamala Harris and all of her policies and are willing to debate her campaign. There is a reason I say almost, though. The main problem that conflicts liberals about their candidate is the Israel/Hamas war. It is in my best interest not to offend anyone on this sensitive topic but rather inform readers of the controversy it has caused amongst leftists. L1s usually do not support her action on this genocide but are knowledgeable on the fact that she's the best candidate for all things, including the violence, considered. L1s are mindful of the fact that she's better for the mentioned issue at hand rather than Donald Trump and any elected third-party, knowing they won't win. (Suppressing the urge to divulge into the controversy of third-party candidate votes in 2024 since there will be another blog post all about that.) With that being said and now summarized, L1s are liberals backing Kamala and voting for her. With that, we have what I'm referring to as L2s (Liberal #2). These are also liberals who are more outspoken about the genocide and are willing to defend the war against the Biden/Harris policies. These liberals are very rarely outspoken in support of the Democratic Candidate. However, they might still vote for her in repentance for President-Elect Trump and her other policies. On the other hand, plenty of L2s instead voted for a third-party candidate, more specifically Jill Stein. (Who I will elaborate more on the future article that I've already mentioned.) This is most commonly, at least amongst L2s, in response to the genocide. To summarize, L2s are liberals who feel so strongly about the genocide that they are willing to vote against Kamala Harris or not be as vocal about their vote for her. What do Conservatives Think? Absolutely no hate to any conservative, I fully respect anyone who can reciprocate that same respect towards me. I am only saying that I am not a conservative. I do, however, heavily research their opinions and try to understand their viewpoints. I am big on getting inside people's heads before judging in order to understand what I am writing and learning about. With that being said, I had to go through Fox News articles to write this section so ignore the obviously biased sources I used when trying to explain their opinions. Using a Fox News report on a poll, people voted on Kamala Harris being too liberal or progressive. That pretty plainly states their opinion of her. Considering this did come from a conservative source, the votes can be seen as a good representation of conservatives. Not just conservatives, but most people can notice that she runs her campaign to attract the liberal vote. (Another good post idea, where she went wrong with her audience.) Reality: Unfortunately, I cannot say this without full bias, being a liberal. However, I can give an idea on what I see if I were to look from a 3rd body perspective. Vice President Harris is at first a Democrat. Only after that, is she a liberal. What I mean by that is that she is not the most die-hard liberal , which there is absolutely no problem with. However, she runs her campaign catering to liberals, knowing they're the ones to agree with her. If I were to assume, considering it has not been specified , I'd say she would think herself to be center-left. Of course, that's an assumption. For a more clear, third-party perspective, I asked ChatGPT. I did not give it any prompts or previous communications before asking the question, How Liberal is Kamala Harris? and here is its uncensored, unedited response: Kamala Harris is widely considered to be a liberal, though her specific political positions vary on a spectrum depending on the issue. As Vice President of the United States, she aligns with the Democratic Party's progressive wing but is often described as more of a center-left politician. Kamala Harris is a liberal, but her political career has reflected a blend of progressive ideals and pragmatic compromises. She holds strong liberal positions on issues like healthcare, climate change, and social justice, but some of her actions, particularly as California Attorney General, have left room for debate among more left-wing critics who question whether she is progressive enough. In the context of American politics, she is generally considered center-left, aligning with the broader Democratic Party's values while also reflecting the diversity of views within the party. Honestly, I do feel a little outdone by the AI but it's clear that I covered all the main points before they could beat me to it. They reiterated many of the same points I did and it goes to answer how liberal Kamal Harris really is. If you do have anything to add or comment about this discussion, I encourage comments on this post, thank you!

12:03 AM 11/6/2024 At school this last morning, I was really stressed about the outcome that would come out of the possibility of Donald Trump winning. I tried to express these anxieties to my fellow HOPE Squad members but they didn’t understand. In that group and many others of my peers, I’m one of the most politically educated. With that being the case, they laughed at my worries and told me the chance of Trump winning was not even likely. Knowing that I was paranoid about my identity, everyone has tried to tell me how senseless it is to believe that he could unconstitutionally discriminate against communities. This just shows me that these kids have not researched Project 2025, where they specifically describe their step-by-step plan to execute these laws. Being undermined by my classmates, I gave up and went to the bathroom to cry until I calmed down a little. Now, it is the middle of the night and I’m supposed to be asleep but I’ve been crying for 30 minutes for the second time today. I’m supposed to be in bed but I’m following the news under my covers. Bernie Moreno has already won and Donald freaking Trump is about to. My therapy assignment is to assess my feelings, so I’ll do that to center myself a little. For one, I am so scared. People don’t understand what I specifically have at stake. I am Muslim, a second generation person of color, and a female. I am the walking symbol of everything our former president hates. Project 2025 will abolish every part of my identity. I physically should not exist in their eyes. He wants to be a dictator to all Muslims and ban our rights like freaking Hitler to the Jews. He wants to put us into concentration camps or deport us. He wants to remove the birth citizenship of second generations like me or, again, deport people like me. He normalizes the negative impacts of racism, affecting my image amongst other Americans. He wants to eliminate the protection of LGBTQIA+ citizens and erase inclusive language and the opportunity for resources and the acceptance of one’s identity from the government. The same goes for identifying as female, along with the rights to my own body. The chances of me actually needing an abortion are slim but I still need it available to myself and fellow women. Not just abortion, but miscarriages, birth control, patient privacy, OBGYN, any woman health situation that could worst case lead to death. And the man who is openly campaigning for all of this is about to become the president of one of the most prominent countries in the world for the second time. He is outwardly accepting this and his fans are still supporting him. I also feel frustrated, betrayed, and targeted. The news keeps panning to clips of his fans gathered in their hats in his Florida HQ cheering on his cause. These people are acting so nonchalant and happy about something that is the exact reason for a terrified queer child to be in tears for the fear of their own safety and protection. For the most part, the people who are known to vote Trump have a specific demographic: white, straight, cisgender, Christian, and male. (Even though, unfortunately, he has received plenty of votes from the opposite gender, other races, and religions as well.) The people I have just described would be safe with either candidate. Myself, however, am the most opposite from them as possible. I am not safe with Donald Trump as president. Do his supporters feel so threatened by my simple existence that they need to make it illegal for me to live on their beloved country? I want to love this country with them. I want to love America so badly. However, they won’t let me. I’m barely allowed to be here at the moment, so how can I be allowed to enjoy my state of living in this country? If he does win, I might actually move out to Canada. I don’t want to have to go to Canada, but maple syrup and Tim Horton’s is a whole hell lot better than having Donald Trump trying to actively kill me. And I feel angry and helpless. I cannot do anything about this. I am watching our country fall apart and I am just expected to sit and watch and do as told. And people care about taxes that much?! You are risking the rights of millions of people just to save yourself a few thousand dollars?! This is the rant that I wrote in the middle of the night whilst secretly watching the election. Keep in mind that specific details have been edited out whilst the sentiment remains the same. I am fortunate enough to have a therapist and the peace of mind to write everything down as I felt it that night. If you feel or felt this way, I highly encourage you to find someone to be able to talk to during this time. Stay safe and we'll fight through this together.

As most people have seen, or at least, heard about, Vice President and Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris has conceded in response to America’s 2024 election results. Of course, her supporters have been looking for guidance given by Harris herself on how to approach their own response in return for these results. Fortunately for the people backing her cause, she has spoken and addressed everything in her gratuitous statement live on 11/6/24 at 4:25 PM. Harris walks up to the podium at Howard University accompanied by Freedom (Featuring Kendrick Lamar) by Beyonce. Right off the bat there’s something we can observe and learn off of her. She’s smiling and optimistic. She has just lost the race to the 2024 Presidential Election to a man many of her supporters fear and she remains a calm symbol of hope while taking a minute to appreciate the people gathered for her. As those people, we need to have the same attitude towards her loss of the Election. We need to stay positive, cheerful, and once again, gracious in the situation we are presented in. “The outcome of this election was not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for…the light of America’s promise will always burn bright. As long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.”  Is the first quote I have collected from her speech. As most of her followers can probably agree, this was not the conclusion we wanted from the race to presidency. It is recognized how much work those who helped her cause gave and she very obviously appreciates it. However, as a candidate it’s important for her voters not to loose hope but rather harvest it anew. This is a constant theme throughout her speech. After thanking her family, President and Doctor Biden, and Governor Walz’s family, she continues her point by thanking the people. “And to my extraordinary team. To the volunteers who gave so much of themselves. To the poll workers and the local election officials. I thank you, I thank you all.” As someone who has family members who heavily supported her and are affected by her loss, these statements are very validating and I am sure many others across the country can say the same. There are many different ways people are taking her loss, as she addresses, “Now I know, folks are feeling and experiencing a range of emotions right now. I get it. [laughs] But we must accept the results of this election.” Considering the message and motives of my own activism and blog, this is crucial to my point, alongside other quotes. “Look, I am so proud of the race we ran and the way we ran it,” is what she tells those present with her earlier today. She accepts the end of the 2024 campaign but makes sure those who ally with her don’t feel like their work was for nothing, which it isn’t. In the most non-sarcastic way possible, it would be really fun to analyze every quote from this speech that I saved. However, there’s a point to this post. What does Vice President Harris’ message tell the people about the next steps? The point of my blog is to advocate for a lot of the same points as her specific cause. What I’m trying to do is raise awareness and get people to do things. So how does this help us understand what to do next? This explains that, first, we should not give up and most definitely do not lose hope. “Sometimes the fight takes a while, that doesn’t mean we won’t win.” If you’re passionate about Harris’ fight, the good news is that this is not over. There are still things to be done and we cannot just back down because of the setback Donald Trump’s election has caused. “While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign. The fight, the fight for freedom, for opportunities, for fairness, and the dignity of all people. A fight that the ideals at the heart of our nation. The ideals that reflect America at our best. That is a fight I will never give up. I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions, and aspirations.” Now, outreach is crucial for her message to stay relevant. “This is a time to organize, to mobilize, and to stay engaged.” So how do you do that? Quite honestly, the is a large multitude of broad possibilities. However, you can protest, educate yourself, educate others, raise awareness, (everything in complete respect to other’s opinions, of course) or join communities. We have to be in this linked together or else we’ll fall apart. You can start a podcast, be like me, and start a blog or a social media page. There are opportunities to redeem ourselves for the betterment of our next chance and we need to take them. “This is not a time to throw up our hands, this is a time to roll up our sleeves,” she reminds us of this point that she had previously made in another promotional ad and I wholeheartedly agree. We have just been faced with the reality of what happens when we don’t give it our all, which I myself can admit to but won’t continue. Starting this blog the morning she lost is my way of rolling up my sleeves and I strongly encourage others to do their own activities in order to stay engaged. “Only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.” So please, as a nation, let’s form a sky of blinding starts to brighten the upcoming darkness.