You don’t defend freedom by deciding who “deserves” rights. You defend freedom by defending the principle that rights belong to people — not just to those in power’s favor.
An attack on one group’s rights is always a test run for attacking everyone’s.

If authorities can ignore due process, enter homes without warrants, restrict protest, or detain people without hearings for some, they can eventually do it to anyone. Rights don’t erode in isolation — they erode collectively.

When the government claims it can suspend rights for one targeted group, it is not creating a narrow exception — it is setting a precedent that weakens protections for everyone. History shows this pattern over and over: rights are first stripped from the most vulnerable, then expanded outward.

My goal was never to be better than anyone else.
My goal was to be better than who I used to be.
And by that measure—showing up with more integrity, compassion, and self-trust than I had three years ago—I’m already succeeding.
Here’s to progress. Here’s to becoming.

Progress hasn’t been loud or linear. It’s shown up in better decisions, deeper self-awareness, healthier limits, and the courage to unlearn what never belonged to me. Some days the win is clarity. Some days it’s rest. Some days it’s simply not going backward.

What I have done is something quieter and more powerful: I’ve become more honest with myself. More intentional. More grounded in my values. I’ve learned how to pause instead of spiral, to choose boundaries over burnout, truth over comfort, and growth over staying small.