Cat got your tongue?

I’m Writing? Cat got my tongue?

Today is February 8, 2025. The United States is crumbling from within—not by the hands of a foreign power, but by our own elected officials. Donald Trump is back in office, and his administration is systematically dismantling the federal government. Lawsuits are flooding the courts, attempting to halt the destruction of longstanding U.S. departments and global aid programs. These past sixteen days have been utter chaos, and the future looks grim.

So why read what I have to say? Because I’ve spent years studying and writing about the society we live in. I hold a Master of Science in Criminal Justice, a pre-law program led by faculty who emphasized the true fundamentals of social science. They taught me to question everything—especially polling data, which often aligns with the interests of the corporations funding it. They taught me to scrutinize politicians, whose policy decisions nearly always benefit the industries that bankroll them.

My academic research focused on the American penal system, where I examined how sentencing policies from the late ’80s and early ’90s fueled mass incarceration. Harsh mandatory sentences were enacted for violent crimes, grand larceny, and drug possession—policies that filled prisons beyond capacity. Instead of rehabilitation, these institutions hardened criminals, ensuring many would return to crime upon release. My thesis explored recidivism and how prison culture transforms individuals, making reintegration nearly impossible. Over time, my perspective has expanded: education is the key, and skilled trades offer one of the fastest ways out of this cycle.

I’m angry about what has happened to the Republican Party. I’m angry about the resurgence of white supremacy. But I’m not just here to rage—I’m here to fight. I’ve joined as a volunteer for the Alabama Democratic Party, committed to the next round of elections. I’m writing to challenge misconceptions about community and government, to argue that this system—flawed as it is—can work and work well. Yes, we waste money in the wrong places. Yes, we let suffering go unchecked. The homelessness crisis is a moral failure, and most of those living on the streets are battling severe mental illness, self-medicating to the point of insanity. The least we can do is treat them with dignity.

More to come.

Kris Robertson