01/01/2026
A Thought Going Into the New Year
Lately I’ve been feeling genuinely concerned, not just about current events, but about how easily fear and suspicion are being normalized.
What I’m seeing more and more is old cases, old headlines, and already prosecuted crimes being recycled and presented as if they’re new discoveries. They’re often paired with viral videos, outrage language, and broad claims that quietly shift attention away from specific actions and toward entire communities.
That matters, because accountability is supposed to be precise. It’s about evidence, due process, and holding individuals responsible for specific wrongdoing. When accountability turns into permanent suspicion of the same groups of people, it stops being about justice and starts becoming something else.
What also concerns me is how selective this outrage has become. We see intense anger directed downward, toward immigrants and marginalized communities, while widespread grift and corruption at the very top is excused, ignored, or even rewarded through pardons and political loyalty. Accountability that only applies to some people isn’t accountability at all.
What worries me most is how effective this kind of messaging is. When fear-based narratives are repeated often enough, they stop sounding extreme and start sounding normal. That’s how xenophobia and racism become socially acceptable again, not through slurs, but through “concern,” “just asking questions,” and selective outrage.
I believe fraud should always be investigated and prosecuted, no matter who commits it. I also believe we should be asking why certain stories are being amplified right now, who benefits from the outrage, and what happens when whole communities are treated as perpetually suspect while powerful people face no consequences.
As we head into a new year, I hope we can choose less division, less judgment, and more care in how we talk about each other.
Small reminders that kindness, diversity, and care are still worth choosing.
