Far too many people are mechanically responding these days with ‘I don’t talk politics’ in conversations that are important to be having. They are also claiming this ‘not talking politics’ is how they are keeping family relations and friendships in tact. I find this incredibly dangerous given the fact that we are in the midst of hostile take-over by a cruel and vengeful unhinged man and his White Christian Nationalist regime.

In addition to denial, the cognitive dissonance that is happening is deeply disturbing. I too have bought into this copout strategy to some extent, not wanting to rock the boat with family members or in business meetings. The hard reality is that we are playing at a whole new level now. This isn’t just ‘politics’ anymore. What is happening needs to be discussed openly, or we risk losing everything, including our lives.

Given what is happening, let’s be more honest about what ‘I don’t talk politics’ represents today:

~A refusal to acknowledge and discuss the systemic and personal racism we are witnessing blatantly and covertly every day in our country. An unwillingness to address or stop Brown people from being abused, kidnapped and human trafficked, and the intense fear and chaos this is bringing about in our communities.

~An ignorance about climate change and a refusal to care about the multitude of environmental protections that are for us and our survival that are being stripped away - all so Trump and his money-and-power-grabbing regime can profit off this.

~A denial of the reality that countless employees are being fired from essential jobs that serve and support us in a variety of ways, and that especially support our most vulnerable populations like the poor, sick, veterans and elderly. ... and how this and massive budget cuts will directly impact our well-being, and will increase homelessness, suffering, crime, mental illness and domestic violence.

~A complete dismissal of science and medical research as we watch essential progress being defunded and stopped altogether. And an unwillingness to care about food and safety regulations that are being blocked, which will result in millions of Americans (not to mention people in other countries) getting sick and dying.

~An inability to see and speak up about trump and his regime profiting off of the many corrupt things they are doing, including building death camps and private prisons that we are paying for with our tax dollars.

~An unwillingness to see that our current federal government is being run by an authoritative regime, with people who are completely unqualified and reckless, and who only serve the white Christian Nationalist agenda, which is against all that America and our US Constitution stands for. The rule of Law and checks and balances of the 3 branches of government designed to protect us no longer mean anything.

~An open admission that free speech does not matter, and you are okay with people being fired and prosecuted for speaking up, for telling the truth, for calling out and criticizing this fascist dictator and the damage he is doing. Granting permission for the media and all narratives to be fully controlled by the trump administration.

~An allowing of bold lies and hurtful propaganda, including promoting and encouraging hatred of and violence against Democrats and anyone who questions or speaks up about laws being broken and the continual injustices of the regime.

~An agreement that women’s rights and voices do not matter and it is okay if they are stripped away, and women become treated poorly and are owned as property again.

~A willingness to allow racist, homophobic, misogynist, criminal bullies to be praised and honored as heroes, saints and martyrs even though they are causing great harm.

~A willingness to go along with everything that is opposite of the Christ and the Christ’s message to love our neighbor as ourselves, to feed the poor, help the sick, etc.

~An approval of the president sending military troops into blue cities to dominate and control them, turning our own military and police against us, creating continual fear and chaos and turning us into a police state where Martial Law is enacted.

~An acceptance of our medical insurance skyrocketing and our already messed up medical system getting worse, causing more people to suffer and die.

~A lack of interest or care in our safety when it comes to foreign invasions and war. And an acceptance that your sons and grandsons may get drafted and go to war.

~An approval of anyone owning guns and there being no need for background checks. An acceptance that everyday mass school and church shootings are just something we have to live with. Daily.

~An acceptance of continually rising prices, tariffs that punish us as consumers, and the very real potential of our entire economy tanking.

~An awareness that much of the free world despises us now and they will most likely be unwilling to come to our aid if there is a military threat on our country.

~Lying, bullying, hatred, cruelty, name calling, firing, threatening, military take-overs, calls for violence on democrats, racism, sexism, discrimination of LGBTQ+ - all of this is okay, and you are fine with what this is modeling to our children. You believe these are the qualities that are making America great.

There is so much more to add to this list but I am tired. We need to be talking about this because it matters.

I understand not wanting to speak up because you are scared. It takes a lot of courage to voice the truth in a world filled with mechanical and crazy right now. Take baby steps and find your courage. But please stop saying you ‘don’t talk politics’ anymore.

Trump and his regime, and your silence, these are literally killing us and destroying everything we love. My wish is that people will reflect on this, on their auto-response to conveniently keep themselves ‘out of it,’ when we all need to be paying attention right now, and standing up for love and light and justice.

Speaking up will cause you to lose friends who are trapped in the machine. But here’s a question for you - If they are mechanical and on auto-pilot, are they really true friends?

The benefits in speaking up are that you will gain Integrity. Dignity. Sovereignty. Clarity. Hope. Purpose and connections with real people who are alive, and who care about what is going on.

I am holding the vision that more of us call out what we are seeing and feeling. That more of us stir and disrupt. That more of us speak up with the intention to shake others awake. Not force, but shake and startle. There is such a thing as a conscious shock. You have experienced these before - when someone says something or you experience something that shakes you awake. I can think of many examples of this in my own life. At times, I have been mad at the messenger, but I am eternally grateful for them today… because they helped me awaken in that area.

Speaking up will be uncomfortable. Do it anyway. Perhaps you will be called to speak up on social media. Or at the next board meeting. Or at a family dinner. Maybe it will be in response to people who say something that feels off - this is often how I am called to speak up. But please do not rest in the phrase, ‘I don’t talk politics.’ It’s like saying ‘I am dead now’ and you are not dead. This all matters. We matter. A lot.

This is not normal. None of this is normal. And it’s not just ‘politics’ so please stop calling it that. It is an insult to all of life to minimalize what is happening and lie in this way. We have been trained to do this and it is time to break free from this, and become human again.

Light ahead,

Teri Jo

We don't. And we won’t.

Our words have power. They can drown or uplift us. It's one day at a time right now. This is horrendous, but this isn’t the end.

His wrath and wrecking ball retribution are far too destructive. He and his regime are breaking countless laws, burning our constitution, making enemies, harming his base, tanking our economy, and more. With their illegal firings, corrupt buyouts, mass deportations, gutting funding, and rising prices, what do you think will happen to crime rates?

This is not going to go well for him. He will implode or be removed before his term is up. I know we need to worry about the other criminal running the country, president musk, but the same is true for him too.

I have faith in US, and in our country. The way through hasn't been revealed yet, but I believe pathways will come, and we will be ready and willing to be brave. We must not give up or obey in advance. There are important midterms that will make a difference. Our city and state officials still have power. Legislators, judges, police and military people will awaken from the madness and rise up for the people, for our constitution, for our country and Mother earth.

And... more than them, more than those 'out there'...

WE have power! With our voices, in our writings, our calls, our communications, our votes, in checking in with friends and neighbors, in gatherings on zoom and in communities, in protests, in boycotts, in our numbers, and more.

And... more than that, more than those 'things to do'...

WE HAVE THE POWER OF LOVE!

It's the mightiest force in the universe! Inside of US, individually and collectively. Love. Compassion. Kindness. Consciousness. Spiritual Activism. Also known as Wokeness!

Did you ever stop to wonder why they are so threatened by these inherent qualities we have? And by Diversity, Equity and Inclusion? By our LGBTQ+ friends? By women? By People of Color? By Education? By Truth? By Science, History and Research? By the freedom to think and believe and worship as we choose?

Really... think about it?

Why would anyone be threatened by these things? All things that include, embrace, uplift and expand?

It's because they know... we have THE POWER!

What if all this is happening for us to Awaken and rise, to find our authentic power within and use it for the greater good!

The rugged individualism story is absolute BS! The white supremacy lie is absolute BS! Christian Nationalism is absolute BS!

They are scared shitless and trying to take control. We will not allow this and there are WAY MORE of us than this gaggle of small-minded insecure man-babies (no offense to babies).

There is also a massive amount of Invisible support (angels, beings of Light, maybe aliens too). Divine Intervention is a real thing. Think of the magical moments you have experienced, the synchronicities, soul encounters, chance meetings, past life glimmers, deja vu's.

Think of all the Good vs. Evil stories we've watched. Those films came through souls having the human experience here (and probably other places too). These stories are based in truth and reality.

This is not over. We are not doomed. We have no idea what's going to happen, how this is going to play out, if we will survive or destroy earth school, but it feels important to keep the faith.

Cry the tears. Use your anger for action. Shake it off. Give yourself a long hug. Call deep on your courage. Find your inner strength. Tune into your SOUL. Ask for light and guidance. Prayer helps. Meditation matters. Raising our Vibration is a game changer. Surrounding ourselves with like-hearted brothers and sisters makes a huge difference too.

I can't say 'we got this' cuz that saying bugs me. We got each other... and God (aka Love)'s got us!!!!

In It to Win It... with you!

Teri Jo

I have a theory on this based on some Trump-supporting women I know. These women grew up with narcissistic, dominant, cheating, heavy-handed and/or absent fathers. Let's face it, this was not unusual for men back in the 'good ole days,' as they like to call it.

While men 'provided' for their families, women had their place, being subservient to men. Some men lacked respect for women except in the roles to serve them domestically, sexually, socially and secretarially. Their family connection was often led by their wives - family dinners, ball games, Sundays at church. They were loving men, but men and womens roles were clear. Intimacy, presence and emotional labor were not required. This has changed in the last 30 years when women found their courage and voice in the now demonized 'woke' culture. This is of course a huge threat to insecure men.

Many MAGA women are boomers from that era. In their need to feel okay about their life, particularly if their father was narcissistic or absent and their mother was the stronger, dominating parent, they falsely elevated their fathers to hero status.

For many of us our dads were a mystery, and we love putting mystery parents on pedestals. I did. My mom was always annoying me with her teeth brushing demands, bedtime regimes, making me eat broccoli, chore lists, and saying NO! My dad was fun, cool, smart and took me to McDonalds once in a while. He was my hero because I needed him to be that. Denial and story-twisting are powerful tools of the psyche. We make up false narratives to paint the picture we want to believe (my dad was great, so I must be good too!)

Unaddressed trauma chooses our relationships. We choose what is familiar to us. Many MAGA women ended up in relationships with narcissistic, lying, cheating and/or absent partners. To justify their decision to stay in these toxic relationships, they normalize and rationalize their behavior.

See how Trump fits perfectly into this?

He is familiar. Comfortable. Normal in their world.

This is why doing healing work matters. It can take years to unravel all the layers and undo the cover stories of the psyche. If we don't do the inner work, we repeat patterns with the same partner or with multiple partners... and we surround ourself with this same energy field. This is all hidden by the shadow.

Though I have many examples of this dynamic, I'll share a story of a specific friend. This friend watches Fox news continuously and has been in relationship with a narcissistic creepy guy for many years. None of her friends like this guy. She catches him cheating and lying often, and she takes him back every time. He gaslights her and messes with her mind. She's a strong, ambitious, successful woman. One time, I told her... 'you went from your dominant dad who cheated on your mom (and in my opinion, made her crazy), to FOX news lying to you and controlling you, to Brad (made-up name) cheating and lying regularly... this is why t-rump feels 'normal' and even 'good' to you.' She didn't speak to me for months after that conversation.

I am sharing this, because I have compassion for these women. It is an unconscious pattern that has been ingrained for years and generations. I watched versions of it in my own family dynamics. I have witnessed it in 100's of others in the healing work I've done. The tricky part is that narcissism and crazy and shadow blend over time. When we betray ourselves long enough, we will believe anything, especially the stories we tell ourselves. We can become versions of the narcissist too. I've experienced empathic narcissists and narcissistic empaths... but that's a topic for another time.

Energetically and consciously we carry a vibration and attract the same vibration. So woke attracts woke. Unhealed trauma attracts unhealed trauma. The only folks making fun of 'wokeness' are those trapped in cycles of trauma and abuse and they have no idea. They are attempting to normalize and elevate trauma and abuse, but we won't be having any of that nonsense.

Earth school is a wild ride!

Light ahead to us all

I knew right away that the part I needed to talk with was a part I call, 'The Guard.' It was there listening to me, so I moved to the other chair to hear what it had to say. This part is hyper-vigilant about its job to protect me. It reminded me about how dangerous the world is right now, stating it MUST stay informed and on top of things. It told me it has to check in to see what's going on so it can keep me safe and sane. It went on, 'There are so many dangers, so much cruelty and corruption right now. I must pay attention. I cannot rest. I have to do my job, to keep you safe! No one else is going to do it!' It was strong and unwavering, convinced it was right and that it was doing what was best for me!

Next, my *higher Self wanted to speak. It said to The Guard, 'You are acting like a tyrant, just like Trump. You are bulldozing Teri Jo to get your way in the name of keeping her safe and informed, but this is actually an addiction, this staying informed is a way to stay in the fear and trauma, and it is hurting her. She is saying she wants to keep her word to center in herself, and be with Spirit in the morning, and you are dominating her and taking the reigns like a dictator, just like Trump!'

HOLY SHIT! The Guard was aghast because of course it would never in a million years want to be anything like Trump! It apologized and sat there humbled, unsure of what to say. My adult self and higher Self appreciated The Guard for its diligence, devotion and hard work. We felt such compassion and told it what a good job it had been doing, but now it was time to relax and let go more. We gave it a big warm hug, and my higher Self (which speaks as a 'we') said, 'We Got You and We Got this!'

Projection is one of the most powerful tools the psyche uses to disown and deny uncomfortable feelings. Anytime, and hear me on this, ANY TIME we are upset about something OUT THERE, there is always an element of what we are upset about playing out somewhere inside of us. This can be subtle and often hard to see. These disowned or shadow parts of us are always trying to do something to help us, like The Guard in my case trying to protect me. This part emerged in me when my mother died. I was 18 months old and needed a protector. That's how clever our psyches are. When pain is too great, we splinter into fragments of self to disperse some of the pain, and also to find ways to protect ourself. I have worked with this part many times before, and have assigned it new jobs... but it can still go right back into it's role when new trauma arises that taps into old traumas. That is its familiar comfort zone. Awareness, calling it out, giving it love, finding a new way of being (with Spirit) are the SOULutions.

*We all have a higher Self, aka our Soul or Authentic Self. Our higher Self is unconditionally loving, compassionate, clear, wise and neutral. IT is the WOKE part of us, lol. Our higher Self/Soul sees the bigger picture and intimately knows every aspect of ourselves, even parts we try to hide from ourselves and others. It doesn't judge us or others or any of our experiences. It knows we are here for learning, expansion and growth and orients us in this direction... when we tune in and ask for IT to help and guide us. It will not intrude on us. In fact, our higher Self can get so covered up by the ego that it is barely noticeable anymore. It's up to us to develop a relationship with it, and ask it for guidance and grace. It is always there when we seek it, even if the Presence and Wisdom are faint at first. Like any relationship, when we nurture and open to it, we experience deeper levels of trust, intimacy and communion.

They are going after WOKE culture, aka people who are healing, growing, raising their consciousness and being of service. Jesus, the Christ was the Wokest of WOKE!

They are attacking our sanity. They are gutting our foundation. They are trying to crush our hope. They are creating chaos and confusion. They are coming at us from every angle.

They boast about hurting others. They boast about locking people up. They boast about taking away our rights. They boast about creating 'shock and awe.' They boast about destroying our Democracy. They boast about getting revenge and retribution. They boast about crushing Blue states and gutting Dems.

They spit venom when asked to show Mercy. They laugh at acts of Generosity and Kindness. They kick the crap out of Empathy and Compassion.

They are going after US. They are going after LOVE.

They are going after the LIGHT. This 'they,' it is the dark force, the negative power. It is Satan or the Anti-Christ if you want to call it this.

THIS is why it all feels so bizarre. This is why we have been thrown into shock and deep despair... because it is so big and it is not of this world. These people, some of whom we love dearly, some good, kind people, have been taken over by the negative power, and they have no idea.

But, WE HAVE NOT!

This is crucial to remember, for we need all our Light and Love to move through this.

No one else is coming to save us.

WE ARE THE ONES!

This is the Second Coming of the Christ, and TAG, WE ARE IT!

Last night I had a comforting revelation that this is not like Hitler and the Holocaust, because we have evolved. We did learn from history and I believe will not let that happen again. Back then, people had no ability to communicate and organize, we do! Back then, most people had not yet done inner healing work or taken paths to raise consciousness and come into the awareness that life is Love, Light and Service. Most did not understand this is the very essence of our Being, aka our Christ-ed nature. Btw, if you are not a believer in Christ, that's totally fine... substitute the word Love, Light, Spirit, Woke or whatever resonates.

What I know is this…

WE ARE THE BELOVED. ('they' are too, they just have been temporarily taken over by darkness)

Remember this Truth…

We have the power of Love backing us, the most powerful force in the universe!

So...

Pick yourself up off the floor. Wipe away your tears and listen deep inside.

It’s time to stop blaming the Devil for bringing forward the story that is helping us rise into Remembering and being our TRUE Self.

It’s time to stop blaming those sucked into the Devil's plan to play their role in the game (really, this is a waste of time and energy because it’s already done, and it seems we are meant to be growing through this now).

Be Brave. Speak up. Shine Light. Share your gifts.

Be the Love you are.

Oh, how I love you all so so much!

We each have unique and essential gifts to share in this transition of Awakening the Light across the planet. I am speaking of specific gifts to this cause as nothing is 'business as usual' anymore. We are being called to be the highest and best version of ourselves. We have so much love and light inside and an abundance of Divine support, wisdom and guidance available. Now is the time to let your SOUL shine!

First, I hope this message finds you healthy and well.

Second, I apologize for the length of this email. It is something my heart has been calling me to share with you. Despite the length, I hope you will take the time to read

and consider this. For some it may be a daunting read, with glimmers of hope (see suggestions at the end). For others, this news may be unsettling. My intention is to share my concerns for our country, and for all of us impacted by what is currently and rapidly happening in the USA, which includes you and everyone in our family.

I realize I have different political views than some of you. Regardless of whether you are a Democrat, Republican or an Independent, I hope and trust you are concerned. Whether you voted for Trump or not, his words and actions of these past two and a half weeks are disturbing and present a serious threat to everyone and everything we know and love. I am writing in hopes of bringing awareness, and to ask you to consider taking action to make a difference.

Trump has issued at least 45 executive orders since he got in office less than three weeks ago. Some of these orders are unconstitutional and illegal. Many of them are an abuse or misuse of power, and are designed to create fear, chaos and confusion in us. The illegal and hostile take over actions of Elon Musk are also deeply disturbing and present a great national security risk to us all.

In an attempt to summarize, I am focusing on 12 areas that are most concerning to give you a bigger picture. At the end, there are 12 suggestions on things to do. All of these concerns are verifiable through google searches with multiple credible sources.

My Main Concerns:

1. Removing the US Constitution - Our US Constitution was removed from the official whitehouse.gov website on Day 1 of Trump’s second term as President. The Spanish translation of the website was also removed that day. In fact, when you went to the Spanish page, it read “GO HOME” (this comment has since been removed). It should terrify every American that Trump has removed our US Constitution as it demonstrates his belief and intention to be above the law (and he now is, thanks to the US Supreme Court decision July 1, 2024). Removing our Constitution, the founding guidelines for our country that was created for and by the people is alarming.

2) Project 2025 - Many who voted for Trump unfortunately did not research this 900+ page document that details the dismantling of our entire Federal government and the destruction of our systems of Checks and Balances, and protections of the rights and freedom guaranteed in our US constitution. It intends to give unchecked power to the president and those loyal to him. Perhaps Project 2025 was ignored because Trump repeatedly lied saying he knew nothing about it when he got pushback because of the extremism of the Project. He also promised he would not hire people affiliated with Project 2025. 144 of the authors of Project 2025 were associated with Trump’s previous administrative team, and many are now filling key positions on his staff. I spent months reading and sharing about the immense hardships Project 2025 threatens to bring to our country. This is a document created by White Christian Nationalists, and it will cause great harm and suffering to all. You can read the full document here:

https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf

Trump and Musk are now clearing our government of all who are not loyal to them through employee buyouts, threats and straight up firing them. They are invading government offices, controlling communications, and forcing resignations of key positions. This is clearly laid out in Project 2025 and is based on the way Viktor Orbán destroyed Hungary. It has close ties to how Hitler took over in just 53 short days.

3) Aligning with Billionaires - Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and many others Trump is taking advice from do not care about you and me. They have no interest in helping the middle class and those who are struggling to make ends meet. Their only interest is in building their egos, power, and bank accounts. A survey showed that only 12% of Americans are okay with any President aligning with billionaires, aka the Elite class, and allowing them to influence presidential decisions, as clearly there is a conflict of interest here. Yet, Elon Musk, who donated over $290 million to get Trump into office this time is clearly his right hand man and is acting as if he is President. Musk did a Nazi salute twice from the Inauguration stage, and has received billions of dollars in US contracts and is invested heavily in China. He is also an immigrant.

4) National Security Threat - Trump is launching trade wars with our allies and attempting dangerous power grabs (Gulf of Mexico, Greenland, Panama Canal, etc). He is not respected by respected leaders of countries that we have important close ties with. Trump praises cruel, power-mongering oligarchs/dictators like Putin and Kim Jong Un. As mentioned, Project 2025 was modeled on the ways of dangerous Dictator Viktor Orbán. There was a significant amount of Russian influence in Trump’s campaign. Over this past weekend, Elon Musk illegally took access of the US Government Treasury system and National Security computers. Musk has not been elected to any official position and has no business having access to all of our data. He now has your SSN, your address, your banking info, your employer, your income. They are threatening and firing national security agents, DOJ heads, FBI heads and many others who keep our country safe. Trump fired 15 Inspector Generals in his first week. These are the people who are responsible for reporting fraud and corruption in our government. He fired them!!!! Only 6 have been fired in the past 16 years. This reveals very clearly that he does not plan to be accountable to Law and Order of any kind. Trump has put an irresponsible and well-known drunk with no experience in charge of our National Defense. These guys have our nuclear codes. That is scary!

Not only is the threat of foreign collusion and conflict looming, but Trump ran his entire campaign on division, blame, racism, sexism and hatred. He calls Democrats the enemies within, and his base believes him. At a family gathering over the holidays one of our own relatives said, ‘It will be good when we finally get rid of all the Dems.’ This comment haunts me to this day. It is the fuel of Trump’s rule to continually present Democrats as the enemy, and to threaten to eliminate, silence and punish us, and get revenge. The things he is saying and doing are not only false, but they are incredibly dangerous and deadly. Everything Trump accuses others of are the very things he is doing. He accused other countries of releasing criminals into our country, when he is the one who released 1500+ violent criminals from prison who attempted to overthrow our government on January 6, 2021. This was a very dark day in our history, which Trump was 100% responsible for. Five Police officers died from that violent day and 140+ were injured. Yet, Trump released them all, showing us the Blue Lives do not matter when you are a dictator and want to send everyone the clear message of ‘Do whatever you must, even harm and kill people to prove you are loyal to me and I will protect you.’ Think about that. It’s so disheartening and sad what he has done to us as a nation. Millions of us are now terrified, and this is only the beginning of the wrath and destruction that he proudly promises to bring.

5) Cutting Federal funding - Trump recently signed an order to freeze all Federal funding of infrastructure (bridges, roads, etc) financing across our country. No doubt he will use this punitive measure to have state Governors grovel and prove their loyalty to him to ‘earn’ the funding needed for various improvement and SAFETY projects in their cities and states. This is sick, unconstitutional, and again, what dictators do. It should cause outrage and concern to all of us, whether you voted for him or not. On January 29th, Trump tried to pass an order freezing ALL Federal funding. This would mean cutting ALL programs to our most vulnerable populations - Head Start preschool, Meals on Wheels for seniors, Veteran aide, Student Loans, low income housing and utilities support, Medicaid, food stamps and much more. It also would defund our police, fire fighters, education systems, and other public services we all greatly rely on. This move was an absolute shock and caused tremendous chaos and fear. These are millions of people’s lives he is impacting with his reckless, and vengeful decisions. Millions would starve and die from his actions. After some backlash, Trump had his team lie about the situation and try to minimize what they did. Watch what Governor JB Pritzker had to say about Trump’s illegal, unconstitutional and deeply cruel act of trying to freeze Federal spending. He describes how it impacted Illinois within a few hours of his shocking announcement from the Whitehouse.

Have you thought about what cutting off all of these people who rely on Federal assistance would do to mental illness and crime rates in our country? People you and I know will be directly impacted - our siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins, children and grandchildren. If people can’t feed or house or school their children, if they cannot survive, what do you think they will do? Single moms struggling, elderly people with no one to turn to, people being denied medical care, and so much more. Our most vulnerable people will suffer and we will ALL feel the impact of this. Trump, Musk and their regime do not care. I certainly hope and trust that you do.

6) Our Economy - Large populations of immigrants work in farming, meat packing, cleaning, gardening, construction and much more. An estimated 80% of California farm workers did not show up for work the day Trump got in office. How do you think deporting the majority of our farm and other essential workers will impact grocery prices, home building costs, etc.? Trump is imposing ridiculous tariffs on imported goods that will be directly passed onto us as consumers. We have already seen gas and food prices increase in the past two weeks and this promises to get much worse with the harmful things he is doing to threaten everyone with these unprecedented and wide spread abuses of power.

7) Immigration - Some of the hardest and most thankless jobs in our country are done by our undocumented immigrants. These are good, honest, responsible, caring people with families who work and pay their taxes ($96+ billion in taxes). Trump’s ICE raids are happening across the country, and he is especially targeting blue states to punish them for not voting for him. He had promised to focus on deportation of criminals, but most being detained and deported are not criminals and have no criminal history. Trump removed the order that prevented ICE from invading churches and schools. I was teaching 1st grade the first time Trump got in office, and had to console several children who were crying the day after he was elected fearing their parents were going to be taken away. This targeted racism is impacting all people of color, including Native Americans who have been detained! He is also threatening to go after birthright citizenship!

8) Health Care - There is too much to mention here but I am deeply concerned that someone like RFK Jr. could be put in charge of our Health given how untrained, unstable and anti-vaccine he is. He is a conspiracy theorists, as are many Trump is putting in vital positions. The reality is that we could face another worldwide pandemic or other health scares and we need someone sane and medically trained in health and science. Trump pulled us out of the Worldwide Health Organization and is dismantling Centers for Disease Control and more. He stopped funding for medical treatments for people with HIV. He reversed a policy that kept drug costs lower. He fired several key Inspector Generals, including those who report recalls in unsafe foods, and keep us informed, healthy and safe. He also stopped ALL funding for medical and scientific research, including Cancer research. Years of studies to SAVE LIVES all thrown in the toilet over night. He wants to take away Medicaid and eliminate the Affordable Care Act which covers pre-existing conditions. It’s unfathomable the major health crisis and deaths his unhinged actions could bring about.

9) Mother Earth - Climate change is real and the resulting natural disasters are becoming more prevalent. Yet, Trump denies the reality that respected scientists have been studying closely and telling us for years. He pulled us out of the Paris Agreement and is opposed to the Green New Deal because he and his billionaire buddies want to profit off of exploiting and polluting our lands.

10) DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) - Trump and Project 2025 have launched a huge attack on DEI. In case you are unaware, DEI includes your disabled neighbor who can only work 4 hours a day, the Down Syndrome grocery bagger at Kroger who greets you with a smile, the autistic barista at Starbucks who makes sure your drink is correct. It includes Veterans. It includes ramps and sidewalk curb cuts for wheel chairs, handicap parking spaces, captions for hearing impaired, being able to come back to your job after having a baby, not having to accept workplace harassment, mental health and wellness programs, public transport accommodations, and so much more! DEI is not hiring an under-qualified person for a job just because they are a person of color. It is not hiring based on race just to meet diversity goals (this is illegal). DEI is about making sure everyone has an equal opportunity to work without being discriminated against. DEI supports everyone who is not a privileged white male. DEI work has been going on for many many years, under different names and the Trump attack on it, is a blatant and open form of racism, targeting people of color and women.

11) Lack of Empathy and Moral & Ethical Character - there is too much to share here, his numerous wives, paying off a porn star, lying and cheating continuously, 34 felony convictions, his cabinet and staff choices who are liars, drunks, sexual predators, narcissists and dangerous to our survival and national security. His focus is retribution and revenge. He proudly boasted ‘shock and awe’ from Day 1 and he is delivering this beyond our worst nightmares. The fact that President Biden had to pardon his own family members who did nothing wrong, and the entire January 6 committee for protecting our country from a hostile takeover and upholding the law is heartbreaking. Trump continually lies and creates division. In the recent devastating wildfires of California, he blamed Democrats and our Governor Newsom (who he calls ‘Newscum’) and he lied saying he called in the military and turned on our water. Rather than offer Californians comfort, he threatened to cut off funding to support victims of the fires. FEMA is also on the chopping block, again with him targeting hurting Blue states the most. Instead of offering condolences to grieving families of the horrific plane crash that took 67 lives, Trump spent his air time blaming this on Biden, Obama and DEI hires. He failed to mention that Musk forced the head of the FAA to resign on January 20, 2025 because of fines Musk did not want to pay for violating aviation safety. Several TSA agents and aviation workers were also impacted by Trumps Federal cuts the past 2.5 weeks, leaving our skies vulnerable. They are attacking and defunding USAID, organizations that have helped save millions of people around our world. Eric Trump recently tweeted “Any and all who dare to defy the American Golden Age, heed this warning: You WILL lose. Tow the line, or we WILL run you down! The gloves are off, and we're not playing around this time. For now, it's tariffs, but trust me: We can, and will, do SO MUCH WORSE.”

So many lies. So much hatred. So much corruption. His campaign was run on this and now he is putting it all into action right in front of our eyes. It is terrifying.

12) Attack on WOKE culture - I love deeply and follow the teachings of Jesus, the Christ. In everything I’ve learned, Jesus was the WOKEST of WOKE. I have spent almost four decades healing trauma, raising awareness, and understanding the human heart and the shadow, including my own. I am and many others are on the path of AWAKENING to LOVE, which is what ‘being WOKE’ means - feeling compassion, showing kindness, sharing love, knowing we are connected, and being of service to one another. I also learned much being a kindergarten teacher and a school counselor over the years. Trump and the people he is surrounding himself with are full on Bullies. Project 2025 attacks WOKE culture and DEI in very strong ways. Ironically, it seeks to destroy the message of the Christ, which is Love, Compassion, Kindness and Mercy.

In closing on these concerns, I will add my concern about our Freedom of Speech being taken away. It is already clear that many have been deeply influenced by the dark rhetoric, lies and propaganda which allowed Trump to get into office. Some of you may not have been paying attention. Maybe you didn’t even vote. Perhaps you just wanted the price of eggs to go down. Regardless of how we got here, we are here and are in so much danger. I hope you are paying attention now, and that you will be called to take action to help make a difference.

Some Suggested Actions:

1. Find Reputable News Sources - There is so much dishonesty and shape-shifting happening in mainstream media now. This is influenced by corrupt money, and even more now by the tremendous fear Trump has instilled in people through his wide-spread punitive actions and threats. Given this, it is essential to be mindful of what you are watching and listening to. I have not watched mainstream media news for over 20 years because I believe it is dangerous to our mental health. Mainstream Media spews the voice of their sponsors and care more about their ratings, than actual news. I prefer reading the news over hearing pundits screaming opinions about it. During this election and now, I am only reading reputable and knowledgable scholars, historians and journalists, including Heather Cox Richardson (my absolute favorite), Robert Reich and Dan Rather. They can be found on Facebook and Substack:

Robert Reich

Daily newsletter exposing where power lies — and how it's used and abused

Steady

Dan Rather's steady take on a complex and chaotic world.

By Dan Rather

2) Call/Write to your District and State Representatives - tell them of your concerns. There are so many issues to address, so with each call or letter be specific, and ask for the head of the department in specific offices.

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member

https://5calls.org/ (this is an excellent resource with great suggestions)

3) Share on Social Media - Share what is happening on Social Media, the good news and the disturbing. I am doing my best to keep what I share informative, even though many of my posts have been heavy lately. Sadly, these are real things that are happening, impacting us all, and fast. It feels important to help people understand what is going on so we have a chance of being able to stop Trump and his regime, and restore a sense of balance, order, honesty, hope and safety again.

4) Speak Up in Personal Circles - Speak up when someone is misinformed or attempting to spread lies; be brave and willing to have hard conversations. This can

be in your office, at family gatherings, or over coffee with a friend. I will not allow misinformation or lies to spread. I do not plan to debate or argue with people, but will state simply, ‘that’s not true,’ or ‘where did you get this information,’ or ‘that’s a lie.’ Dictators run on fear, lies, hatred and division. They turn people against each other. Trump and Musk know this and are having a field day right now. They assume we are too dumb, lazy, scared or confused to investigate, speak up and take action. Do not be silent and give in to tyranny.

Speak up if someone is causing harm - demonstrating hatred or againstness toward women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, etc. Trump has given full permission for the ugliest in humans to come out and it is important to use our voice and our power to stop them. You could use your voice with the person being harmed to check in - ‘Are you okay? How can I help you? What do you need to feel safe?’ Or speak to the Bully - ‘Please stop! Leave her alone. That is racist. You sound like a Nazi’ etc. Again, these situations can be anywhere - in your family, with friends, in public spaces, in work places, at school. It will take courage to stand up to bullies and hate crimes, but it is important that we find courage to step up in situations and show our caring for our brothers and sisters. Think WWJD? (What Would Jesus Do?) And do it.

5) Read Inspiring Leaders - there are the greats who lead non-violent movements like MLK, Gandhi, John Lewis, Dalai Lama, Jane Addams and Howard Thurman. Finding quotes and pieces written by them are inspiring and uplifting, very helpful in these dark times. ‘On Tyranny’ by Timothy Snyder is a small book that gives tips on what we can do. It is not an easy read and is definitely not inspiring, but it is informative.

6) Look for the Helpers - this has not been easy to see lately given how much cruelty and chaos is coming at us daily since he took office, but there are bright lights like some of the Governors and Senators speaking up and taking action. An inspiring moment for many of us was when Bishop Marian Edgar Budde asked Trump to find it in his heart to have Mercy for all who are scared right now. It is heartbreaking that she felt the need to ask for Mercy, but most of us see how cruel he is. He of course attacked her for this. I am currently reading her fantastic book, ‘How We Learn to be Brave’!

7) Support Great Causes - Donate your time, talents and $ to causes that call to your heart. There are some organizations doing essential work in our country. Sadly, they are going to need more help than ever now that he is threatening to pull funding for all grants, non-profits and service organizations. Here are a few of my favorites:

https://freedomtochooseproject.org/ (near and dear to my heart, they do powerful healing work in prisons)

https://action.aclu.org/give/now (American Civil Liberties Union)

https://www.edf.org/ (Climate Change)

https://www.ilrc.org/ (Immigrant Legal Resource Center)

https://www.amnesty.org/en/donate/ (Protects Human Rights)

https://indivisible.org/ (Saving Democracy)

8) Find like-hearted Souls - Attend gatherings on Zoom and in person. During the election, I hosted weekly ‘Democracy Calling’ zoom meetings on Sunday nights. I am bringing these zoom gatherings back under the new name ‘Soul Call.’ It is a way for like-hearted souls to gather and share ways we are supporting ourselves and others as we navigate through this deeper awakening to Love. I am planning to launch ‘Soul Call’ this Sunday February 9th at 8:30pm PST. Email me if you would like the link.

9) Practice Self-Care - All of this is overwhelming. For those of us paying attention, we are feeling it big time. Our nervous systems are on overdrive - we are in freeze, fight or flight responses, some of us barely hanging on. There is a collective trauma that is present as well. Seek and find support through trusted counselors, communities and friends. It is important to take care of our bodies - eating healthy, exercising, getting proper rest. Be mindful of how much news you are consuming. While now is not the time to stick our head in the sand, it is okay to take breaks from the news. This is another reason to carefully choose what you read, watch and listen to.

10) Be Forgiving and Compassionate - Many of us are angry and hurt that 31% of U.S. voters chose Trump (again), and an even higher percentage didn’t vote at all. This is understandable as so much is now on the line. Of that 31% (only 23% of our overall population voted for Trump), I feel at least half of those people did not understand what they were voting for, and believe almost all Trump voters did not read Project 2025. Trump supporters are largely influenced by Fox News and shock jocks who are continuously lying to them. I have been exposed to their messaging and it is convincing because it is repetitive and feeds into their narratives of fear, anger and blame. I am sharing this to paint a picture because at some point, people who voted for him are going to realize what they have done and want forgiveness. Not all will come to see the light but many will. We can continue to blame them and hold onto resentment, or we can choose compassion and forgiveness. We will need all the help we can get to turn the tide on this darkness and shift what is happening into the Light.

11) Be Kind - I wrote this letter because I care about you, all of humanity, our country and our world. I love you regardless of who and what you voted for. I believe sharing truth with the intention of bringing awareness and action is an act of kindness for all. People I am close with are having a hard time processing what is happening. Be gentle and kind. Visit your neighbors. Check on your family and friends. Check on strangers. Check in on children and teens, some of whom are having a particularly hard time right now. Check on people you know are scared. Make eye contact, hug people heart to heart, and let them know you are with them. Share love and kindness everywhere.

12) Keep the Faith - As daunting as these times are, remember the Love Light you are. While things are uncertain and scary right now, we can be a beneficial presence on the planet by showing up in and as the love we are. Pray for miracles. Ask for grace and guidance. There is a lot of support coming from the invisible angelic realms. Lean into this. Meditate, dance, sing, chant and pray. Do art, write poetry, share hard things. I hope and pray we will rise through the ashes like the Phoenix. This quote from Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes is a good reminder:

“One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times. The light of the soul throws sparks, can send up flares, builds signal fires, causes proper matters to catch fire. To display the lantern of soul in shadowy times like these - to be fierce and to show mercy toward others; both are acts of immense bravery and greatest necessity.”

THANK YOU SO SO MUCH for reading this far if you did.

God Bless you and God Bless our country.

I am praying with all my heart that we make it through this difficult time and that our hearts open more to what we came for, to love and serve all.

I love you

Teri Jo

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