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In late October 2024, the environment was completely different. Ahead of the national election, considerate Americans could recognize America's deep flaws – its injustices and imbalance – however they still could identify it as the US. A democratic nation. A place where legal governance meant something. A nation guided by a dignified and ethical leader, even with his elderly years and increasing frailty.

Nowadays, this autumn, numerous citizens barely recognize the land we reside in. People suspected of being unauthorized foreigners are rounded up and shoved into transport, occasionally denied due process. The left side of the White House – is being destroyed to build a lavish ballroom. Donald Trump is persecuting his political rivals or perceived antagonists and demanding federal prosecutors transfer an enormous amount of citizen dollars. Uniformed troops are deployed into American cities under fabricated reasons. The Pentagon, relabeled the Department of War, has – in effect – rid itself of routine media oversight during its expenditure of what could amount to close to a trillion USD of taxpayer money. Universities, legal practices, media outlets are yielding under the president’s threats, and rich magnates are regarded as aristocracy.

“The US, shortly prior to its 250-year mark as the world’s leading democracy, has crossed the brink toward dictatorship and extremism,” a noted author, commented recently. “Finally, faster than I thought feasible, it did happen in America.”

Every morning starts amid recent atrocities. And it's hard to comprehend – and distressing to accept – how deeply lost our nation is, and the speed at which it occurred.

However, it is known that the leader was duly elected. Even after his profoundly alarming previous administration and following the alerts linked to the knowledge of Project 2025 – even after the president personally declared plainly he intended to act as an autocrat only on the first day – sufficient voters elected him rather than the other candidate.

Frightening as today's circumstances is, it's more frightening to understand that we’re only nine months under this leadership. Where will another 36 months of this deterioration find us? And suppose the three years transforms into an prolonged era, as there is nobody to restrain this leader from opting that additional tenure is necessary, possibly for defense purposes?

Certainly, all is not lost. We will have midterm elections the coming year that could establish an alternate balance of power, if Democrats retake the Senate or House of the legislature. There are government representatives who are striving to exert a degree of oversight, like Democratic congressmen currently starting a probe into the attempted money grab from the justice department.

And a leadership election three years from now could initiate our journey to healing precisely as the previous vote placed us on this unfortunate course.

There exist countless citizens protesting in the streets across municipalities, as they did recently at democracy demonstrations.

A former official, wrote recently that “the slumbering force of the nation is rising”, exactly as before post-McCarthyism during the fifties or during the sixties activism or throughout the seventies crisis.

In those instances, the unstable nation ultimately corrected itself.

He claims he understands the signs of that resurgence and observes it occurring now. As evidence, he points to the recent massive protests, the widespread, bipartisan pushback to a personality's dismissal and the almost universal defiance by media to sign military mandates they only publish what is sanctioned.

“The slumbering entity perpetually exists asleep before some venality becomes so noxious, a particular deed so contemptuous toward public welfare, some brutality so loud, that it is compelled other than to stir.”

It's a positive outlook, and I respect his knowledgeable stance. Possibly he may turn out correct.

In the meantime, the major inquiries persist: will the nation ever recover? Is it possible to restore its status internationally and its commitment to legal principles?

Or should we recognize that the national endeavor succeeded temporarily, and then – suddenly, utterly – failed?

My pessimistic brain suggests that the latter is correct; that all may indeed be gone. My optimistic spirit, nevertheless, advises me that we have to attempt, through all methods available.

In my case, working in journalism analysis, that’s about pushing media professionals to live up, more completely, to their duty of scrutinizing authority. For different individuals, it may be participating in congressional campaigns, or organizing rallies, or developing approaches to safeguard electoral access.

Not even one year prior, we were in an alternate reality. Twelve months later? Or in several years? The reality is, we don’t know. All we can do is to strive to continue fighting.

What’s Giving Me Encouragement Today

The interaction I encounter in the classroom with young journalists, that are simultaneously visionary and grounded, {always