The firing at FEMA and Purging Trans Folks are more signs of a weak President
By Walden Wright
Do What MATAs | Friday Reflection
We began this week with music.
Cinco de Mayo parades, classrooms draped in posters for Teacher Appreciation Week, a few flags, a few fireworks. But as the days passed, the sound shifted.
By midweek, we were no longer celebrating. We were bracing.
Another school shooting—this time in Glendale.
More political show trials targeting teachers and diversity programs.
And then, a gut punch wrapped in paperwork:
a renewed effort to purge trans service members from the military.
By Thursday night, two things had happened:
The nation had largely gone quiet.
Two men refused to.
The Noise We Ignore—and the Cost of That Silence
This week was never about headlines. It was about patterns.
A FEMA chief was fired for defending his agency.
A foreign film triggered tariff threats because it had subtitles.
A teacher was told to remove a safe space poster.
A soldier was told they no longer belonged because they were trans.
And all of it, all of it, was sold to us as “patriotism.”
But real patriotism doesn’t erase, it embraces.
It doesn’t purge, it protects.
It doesn’t perform, it serves.
When the Silencers Speak Louder Than the Silenced
Propaganda isn’t always obvious. Sometimes it looks like procedural memos. Sometimes it sounds like network commentary. Sometimes it simply doesn’t happen—because enough of us have learned to tune it out.
But this week, we reached a threshold.
Because when truth-tellers are fired, students are silenced, and soldiers are stripped of their service, the signal becomes unmistakable:
It’s not just censorship. It’s cowardice with a flag draped over it.
And we’ve been here before.
History Remembers the Silenced—But Honors the Stubborn
When we interned Japanese Americans, some still fought for us.
When we segregated Black troops, they still flew for us.
When we banned LGBTQ service members, they still served.
And now, once again, we’re being asked to choose between fear and principle.
This time, the target is trans Americans.
And once again, there are those trying to make us look away.
But something happened this week that broke that pattern.
The Stand: Two Voices, One Truth
Joe Bob Justice and Colonel Ezra Stone—two men with different backgrounds, tones, and beliefs—stood side by side to say what many were too afraid to:
“You don’t get to call it patriotism while purging patriots.”
Joe Bob, in a red cap and a raised voice, called out the political theater.
Ezra, in his uniformed calm, offered a quiet line in the sand.
Together, they did what America’s best moments always demand:
They stood for the ones who stood for us.
Not just because it was right.
Because it was overdue.
So What Did We Learn This Week?
We learned that silence can be loud.
That truth can be inconvenient.
That courage can come from unlikely coalitions.
And we were reminded—again—that when the system shakes, the people who show up with clarity, dignity, and grit… are often the ones the system tried to push out.
So to every trans troop still standing watch: we see you. We honor you. We’re not done fighting beside you.
What You Can Do This Weekend:
Read the joint post from Joe Bob and Ezra. Share it with someone who still believes integrity matters.
Call your rep and demand they oppose any policy that discriminates against trans service members: Find your House rep
Support SPARTA and similar orgs: spartapride.org
Check in with a teacher, a student, a service member, or a parent. Ask what’s on their heart. Really listen.
Final Reflection:
This week didn’t end with a shout.
It ended with a stand.
And in a time of noise and numbing, a principled stand is the loudest sound of all.
— Walden Wright
Next Read: [You don’t get to call it patriotism while purging patriots – Joe Bob + Ezra]
Or revisit [Daisy’s and Liberty’sresponse to the Glendale shooting and mental health crisis].