Stand Up and Speak Up
This letter to the editor, by John Krizek, appeared in the Hudson Star Observer on September 25, 2025.
Stand up and speak up America stands today at a crossroads — caught between the turmoil of 1968 Chicago and the shadow of George Orwell’s 1984 Oceania.
After the senseless death of Charlie Kirk, Donald Trump responded by declaring, “We have to beat the hell out of radical left lunatics.” He denounced the “radical left” — his blanket term for the entire Democratic Party — as singularly responsible for political violence across the nation. He went further, blaming comparisons of Kirk and like-minded figures to totalitarians like the Nazis for fueling this tragedy. Trump declared, “My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges and law-enforcement officials.”
Were Donald Trump not President of the free world, his personal outrage might be understandable — a fallen ally from his MAGA foundation. But he holds the highest office and rather than fanning the flames of division he should be uniting this nation in grief against political violence. Instead, his rhetoric recalls darker moments in our history and stokes a fear that retribution will become official policy.
I remember standing in Grant Park during the 1968 Democratic Convention, protesting the Vietnam War. We were Volunteers of America, gathered for peace — and met with clubs, teargas and a police riot.
George Orwell’s warnings in 1984 echo through our present. “War is peace.” “Freedom is slavery.” “Ignorance is strength.” “He who controls the past controls the future.” Most chilling is the concept of controlled perception — “Big Brother is Watching You.”
Today, Orwell’s prophecy feels disturbingly close to fulfillment. Deny it if you wish, but fear of expressing progressive values now runs deeper than ever before. The police state is creeping into reality. We must not remain silent; we must raise our voices and resist.