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One year ago, the environment was completely different. Ahead of the American presidential vote, reflective citizens could admit the country's significant faults – its inequities and imbalance – however they continued to see it as the US. A democratic nation. A country where legal governance carried weight. A country headed by a honorable and upright leader, despite his elderly years and increasing frailty.

Currently, as October 2025 ends, numerous citizens hardly identify the nation we live in. Individuals believed to be undocumented migrants are rounded up and shoved into transport, at times blocked from fair treatment. The East Wing of the presidential residence – is being destroyed to build a lavish event space. Donald Trump is persecuting his political rivals or perceived antagonists and insisting the justice department transfer a huge total of citizen dollars. Uniformed troops are being sent across metropolitan centers with deceptive justifications. The defense headquarters, relabeled the War Department, has – in effect – freed itself of regular press examination as it spends potentially totaling nearly $1tn in public funds. Universities, attorney offices, journalism organizations are yielding from leader's menaces, and billionaires are regarded as nobility.

“The US, shortly prior to its 250-year mark as the globe's top democratic nation, has crossed the edge into autocracy and extremism,” Garrett Graff, wrote in August. “In the end, more quickly than I imagined possible, it did happen here.”

Every morning starts to new horrors. It is challenging to understand – and painful to realize – how deeply lost our nation is, and how quickly it has happened.

Yet, it is known that the leader was legitimately chosen. Even after his profoundly alarming first term and despite the alerts linked to the awareness of the conservative plan – following the president personally declared plainly he would act as an autocrat just on day one – enough Americans elected him rather than Kamala Harris.

Frightening as the current reality are, it's more frightening to realize that we have only been three-quarters of a year under this leadership. What will three more years of this downfall position us? And suppose the three years turns into something even longer, as there is no one to restrain this ruler from opting that a third term is necessary, possibly for defense purposes?

Granted, there is still hope. There are congressional elections the coming year that may create a new balance of power, should Democrats retake the Senate or House of Congress. There are elected officials who are trying to exert certain responsibility, like Democratic congressmen currently launching an investigation concerning the try to cash appropriation by federal prosecutors.

And a presidential election in the next cycle could initiate our journey toward restoration precisely as last year’s election set us on this unfortunate course.

We see numerous residents demonstrating in urban areas of their cities, as they did in the past days during anti-authority protests.

Robert Reich, wrote recently that “the great sleeping giant of the US is stirring”, exactly as before post-McCarthyism in the 1950s or throughout anti-war demonstrations or in the seventies crisis.

During those times, the unstable nation eventually was righted.

He claims he understands the signals of that awakening and sees it happening now. As support, he cites the large-scale demonstrations, the extensive, cross-party resistance against a personality's dismissal and the largely united refusal by journalists to sign the defense department’s demands they solely cover what is sanctioned.

“The sleeping giant perpetually exists inactive before certain corruption becomes so noxious, some action so contemptuous of the common good, specific cruelty so disruptive, that he is compelled except to rise.”

It’s an optimistic take, and I appreciate Reich’s experienced view. Possibly he may turn out correct.

At the same time, the major inquiries remain: is the US able to regain its footing? Is it possible to restore its position globally and its adherence to the rule of law?

Or should we recognize that the 250-year-old experiment functioned for a period, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?

My negative thoughts indicates that the second option is true; that all may indeed be finished. My hopeful heart, nevertheless, tells me that we have to attempt, through all methods available.

For me, working in journalism analysis, that involves encouraging reporters to live up, more fully, to their duty of overseeing leadership. For others, it may be working on political races, or coordinating protests, or discovering methods to defend electoral access.

Less than a year ago, we were in a separate situation. A year from now? Or after another term? The fact is, we don’t know. All we can do is to attempt to not give up.

What Provides Me Encouragement Today

The contact I have in the classroom with new media professionals, who are both idealistic and grounded, {always