The revolution will not be televised
“The revolution will not go better with Coke
The revolution will not fight the germs that cause bad breath
The revolution WILL put you in the driver’s seat
The revolution will not be televised
WILL not be televised, WILL NOT BE TELEVISED
The revolution will be no re-run brothers
The revolution will be live” - Gil Scott-Heron, 1970
America stands at a crossroads—one shaped by grief, turmoil, and the echoes of dangerous ideas grown louder in recent years. For those who have worn the nation’s uniform and for all who value democracy, the hour demands vigilance, unity, and unwavering resolve.
Moments of tragedy expose not only our vulnerabilities, but also the ambitions of those who would profit from chaos. The assassin’s bullet that recently shattered public debate threatens to become a rallying cry for forces eager to weaponize fear and suspicion. While many mourn a life lost, others see opportunity for repression, escalation, and the tightening grip of the surveillance state. We must confront the reality: history teaches that when despots and demagogues exploit violence, they do so to justify trampling rights, silencing dissent, and marginalizing the voices of the people.
Let these events remind us of what really matters—freedom, justice, and the hard-won rights secured by generations before us. Authoritarians speak of law and order while stoking paranoia, passing sweeping edicts, and pointing fingers. Their police powers, bolstered by outrage, creep into everyday life until suspicion rules where trust should reside. Yesterday’s emergency measures become tomorrow’s “new normal.” Once that line is crossed, it rarely comes back without a fight.
The temptation to stand down and wait for calmer times cannot be indulged. Silence now is acquiescence. Everyone with a stake in America’s future, especially those who understand the cost of freedom, must prepare—not just to defend basic rights, but to protect one another and truth itself from suffocating waves of propaganda. Dissent is not a luxury; it is a duty.
The consequences of unchecked power are written in blood and echoed in history’s darkest chapters. Fascism never arrives waving its true banner—it sneaks in, riding the wave of fear, demanding loyalty, calling itself necessity. Now, more than ever, the country needs citizens ready to hold the line: ready to speak truth, to protect the vulnerable, and to resist seduction by easy answers to complicated pain.
Our commitment must be fierce and disciplined. Organize. Communicate. Stand in solidarity with those threatened by hatred and exclusion. If we allow repression dressed up as security to take root, we invite the rot of corruption and cowardice into the soul of the republic. The future belongs to those who remember that freedom is not self-perpetuating—it must be fought for, every day, by all who claim to love this land.