Private Fear, Public Façade


 Private Fear, Public Façade  

News reports roll out daily highlighting the latest cruelty from the Trump/Musk administration. The government is being aggressively and indiscriminately dismantled and with it the rights and safety net many depend on. This constant stream has created an atmosphere of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty. Shifts are coming at a pace that leave little time or space to deal with anything other than what is in front and what comes next. There is a surreal quality to the experience made all the stranger for the sense of business as usual that also exist.  

There is a chorus of media pundits and influencers attempting to galvanize a broad response, yet in our everyday lives there seems to be little reflecting this urgency. It is only in private conversations that people are willing to admit the direness of our situation to themselves and to one another. Publicly, there exists this need for individuals to avoid being seen as alarmists and companies to avoid in any way drawing the ire of the administration. 

This public distancing of ourselves from the severity of our situation is harmful to our mental health and further normalizes the harm being done. Corporate groups hosting events honoring women but not mentioning the fight we are in for bodily control are not empowering, they are hollow. There is nothing to be gained by pretending we are ok. In fact, we unintentionally contribute to the harm and entrench it when we go about our daily lives failing to hold ourselves, the companies we support, and our elected officials to the task of fighting for democracy. We do not do ourselves any favors by whispering our fears privately while wearing masks of normalcy publicly.  It’s time to lead with our faith to dismantle the façade and face our fears. 


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Stacy Davis Gates