In the Now: A Reflection on Our Troubling Times

We’re living in a political moment when hope and the values I hold most true are crumbling fast. Though not my favorite “now,” it’s the one we have now. We have to confront the destructive forces of evil like Trump and Putin and Netanyahu and all those surrounding them if we ever hope to wake from this nightmare. They are wrong, these hateful, soulless, and vengeful bullies. They’ve hijacked this moment in history and made it harder and harder to be safe in this world where they thrive. The air is thick with stupidity, cruelty, and decay. Our collective sanity is slipping away with no adults in charge, leaving a mess of destruction and chaos that no one seems able to stop.

I’ve hated and feared Trump since the 1980s when he polluted the landscape of Fifth Avenue with his gaudy, crass buildings. That he’s so widely popular—was even elected into the highest office—is a reality I still can’t fathom. A symptom of a much deeper rot. That people claim he’s a “breath of fresh air” only highlights how poisoned the air around us has become.

And me, at 70 years old, recovering from a broken arm—a result of distracted thoughts about Trump and the state of the world—I deeply resent this dark time. I wish my remaining years could be filled with curiosity and enlightenment, peace and creativity, dancing and joy. What terrifies me the most with the rise of authoritarianism is how so many, young people especially, aren’t reacting. Or maybe they’re convinced this hate and destruction is necessary, even good. 

Growing up in New York in the aftermath of the Holocaust, I was obsessed with the thought: How could so many people allow this to happen? This question still haunts me today, not just about the development in the US but around the world. The answer, I fear, is also in myself. How difficult to know what to do and how scary to stand up, speak out, and resist. 

I think back to my high school days when a passionate English teacher inspired us to take action during the height of the Vietnam War. He took us young students to Washington, DC, where we protested against the war together. There was a sense of collective purpose, a belief we could change things. But today, the landscape feels different. After 9/11, the atmosphere of fear and repression have grown more intense, and political activism—especially in schools—has become more risky with far more efficient monitoring of our behaviors and actions. 

How can there be resistance when it’s increasingly unsafe to oppose? How can we be brave to stand up to truth and our values?

This is not the now I wish for, yet the longer we remain silent the more challenging it will become. Join me in getting inspiration from those writing and speaking with wisdom like Timothy Snyder, Heather Cox Richardson, Robert Reich, and more. To listen deeper to what we truly believe and find courage to express these hard thoughts, and follow with action. Just writing this I felt scared. 

I’d love to hear from you on your thoughts.