We Are Not Living in Normal Times — And We Cannot Pretend Otherwise

Let’s get something straight right from the top: these are not normal times.

What’s happening right now in our country — the disinformation, the erosion of truth, the attacks on democratic institutions, the quiet slide into something far more dangerous than apathy — it’s not business as usual. And I won’t pretend that it is.

As a journalist, I’m trained to observe, to question, to report. But I’m also a human being. I’m watching this unfold not from some cold, objective tower, but from right down here with you — in the streets, in the scroll of daily headlines, in the tension at the dinner table, in the worry I hear from friends, neighbors, even strangers. I feel it just as much as you do. The unease. The disorientation. The urgency.

Something is broken. And pretending it’s not only deepens the fracture.

That’s why I’m here. That’s why I keep showing up. And that’s why your support—especially through subscriptions—matters more than ever.

There is an increasing effort — subtle and loud, institutional and individual — to normalize what we are seeing. To shrug and say, “Well, that’s just how things are now.” But that normalization is a trap. And if we don’t push back against it, we risk becoming numb to the very erosion of the values we say we hold dear.

The role of journalism — real journalism — isn’t just to document history as it happens. It’s to shine a light in dark corners, to ask hard questions, and to hold power to account. But even more importantly, in moments like this, it’s to say the quiet part out loud when others are afraid to.

And here it is:

We are living through a time of deep distortion — politically, socially, morally.

We can’t look away. We can’t scroll past. We can’t pretend that this is fine.

I'm not writing this from a place of despair — I’m writing it from a place of defiance. This is me fighting back. With words. With clarity. With truth. And I know I'm not alone.

If you’re feeling disoriented — you're not crazy. If you’re feeling outraged — you're not overreacting. If you’re feeling exhausted — I see you.

But know this: we are not powerless. We are not alone. And this moment is not forever — unless we let it be.

So let’s refuse to normalize the abnormal. Let’s call it what it is. Let’s stand up. Speak out. Write. Vote. Organize. Support independent media. Have the hard conversations. Be louder than the noise. Be bolder than the fear.

We are in this together.

And we are not going quietly.