Changing Our Reaction:
Trump’s Plan to Abolish Norms

By Alessandra Navetta

I usually watch news/talk shows when I am getting dressed in the morning. This morning after ten minutes of listening to all the awful things Donald Trump has been doing, I had to switch the channel and resort to watching a cooking show. I had had enough. I wasn’t going to let all the dreadful things that are happening spoil my day and make me depressed. I was so sick and tired of all the bad news that I decided that I would no longer keep up with the news and instead focus on the things that make me happy. There is nothing I can do to change what is happening and so I will focus on my small little world and let myself become ignorant of all the evil things happening to other people. A few moments passed and then this thought came to me. That is exactly what Trump and his minions want to have happen. They want to wear us down so we no longer care.

I then realized that if I felt this way, there must be many more like-minded people who feel the same way. If all of us allow ourselves to sit back and become ignorant, how much easier will it be for Trump to do even more unlawful things? That has been the plan all along. Do a whole lot of atrocious things that violate laws and norms and after a while they will seem normal. The more awful acts, the more numb and exhausted we become and the less likely we are to object. That is precisely the plan.

Outrageous acts become more and more normal. Where is the outrage at shooting down occupants in boats, whose identity is not known, in international waters? Why is there no outrage at placing excessive tariffs on friendly neighboring countries because of a presidential whim? The president allows a war criminal to take the land of a sovereign nation and sabotages that nation when it seeks to defend itself. Where is the outrage when the president destroys the East wing of the people’s house to erect a ballroom twice the size of the Whitehouse? Tax dollars are being wasted on golf trips to Florida while food stamps are being denied to citizens who need them to survive. Where is the outrage at masked thugs being paid to capture and imprison innocent people, who look a certain way, without affording them due process? And the list goes on. Because Trump has signed so many unlawful executive orders, in a short period of time, such as defunding or disbanding government agencies, we are beginning to accept these outrageous acts as the norm. We cannot let this happen.

So what are we to do? After a few more minutes had passed I decided on a solution. I was not going to fall into this trap. This is my solution. I (we) need to stay abreast of what is going on, as depressing as it might be. I (we) need to object to what is happening by sharing truthful information with anyone who will listen, including people who don’t think like us. We may lose a friend or two, but it will be worth it if we can save our country. We must engage our elected representatives and let them know what we think. After all, they are our voice in our representative democracy. We must engage with people in our community who share our outrage, including independents and traditional Republicans who have come to our point of view. Every small thing we can do collectively, will make a difference. Join a peaceful protest. Every protest has brought out more and more participants from different walks of life and different generations. And they give us hope. And when the news gets really bad, one can always take temporary respite in a cooking show!!

2026 is a crucial election year. There will be attempts made to tamper with our elections. It is already starting. Be vigilant and don’t be afraid. Help your neighbors get to the polls. Pass out your preferred candidate’s literature. Put their signs on your property. Be brave.

Become well informed on the issues and possible solutions to problems and be prepared to discuss them in simple terms. Do not allow yourself to be sucked in by Trump’s attempts to take away your hope and spirit. If that happens, democracy dies and autocracy wins. We are all Americans and we must keep our democracy true to the intent of the founders- we must work together to solve our problems and not chose the way of autocracy.

PS. I wrote this before the results of the November 2025 elections were known. I am encouraged. My spirits have been lifted. There is hope.