When Leaders Fail, the People Must Rise

From Investment to Injustice: Kemp Betrays Georgia

Ellabell, Georgia is home to Hyundai’s first fully electrified vehicle and battery manufacturing campus in the United States, as well as “the largest immigration raid of President Donald Trump’s second term” (Hurley and Faheid). This past Thursday nearly 500 federal, state, and local officers descended onto the plant, arresting 475 people and loading them onto a bus for the Folkston ICE Processing Center more than 100 miles away from the worksite. When questioned, Homeland Security justified their unethical attack by stating that many of the arrested individuals had crossed into the US unlawfully while others had overstayed their visas. 

The plant is co-owned by the South Korean carmaker Hyundai, and the majority of the individuals arrested were South Korean as well, stirring tensions with the South Korean government. The country has always been a valued trade partner of the United States, and this recent operation highlighted the conflicting values of the current administration as Trump pushes for expanding manufacturing in the U.S. while cracking down on immigration. Officials have stated that the two states came to an agreement, and South Korea’s foreign minister flew in on Monday to help secure the release of the workers.

This distressing event not only stirred tensions between the two trade partners, but also received severe backlash from Korean communities within Georgia. But is it really surprising that the ICE raids aren’t only targeting Hispanic populations within the U.S.? Trump and this week the Supreme Court has made it abundantly clear that no one is safe, and anyone could be a target regardless of status, race, or contribution to society. As Trump’s prejudiced raids continue it’s no longer a question of who will be next– but how long will we allow this cycle of fear and exclusion to continue?

Let's put it bluntly–Kemp is a coward. In the face of injustice, discrimination, and borderline fascist actions, Kemp has decided to step aside and let Georgia residents suffer. Kemp propped up foreign investment as one of Georgia’s top priorities, but he not only stood aside and let the same people fulfilling that goal be arrested, but upheld his decision to do so. But this should not be surprising. After making amends with Trump, Brian Kemp vowed to strengthen anti-immigration and Georgia’s partnership with ICE. He’s deployed Georgia’s Air National Guard to assist ICE using our taxpayer money to do so, signed bills to make law enforcement complicit with ICE’s actions, and all in all, made Georgia an unsafe place for the same immigrants that fund our economy. 

The Hyundai plant raid is a symptom of a growing issue in our state. Georgians have a governor who does not have our interest at heart. He claims to want to inject into our economy through foreign investment, but in the same breath does nothing to protect those who took a risk coming here to carry out his plans. He was willing to strain foreign relations to adhere to Trump’s demands. These actions are not one of a leader, but a lackey. Kemp has shown a complete and utter lack of regard to his constituents' needs. Rather, he’s most focused on appeasing his party, and if he puts the lives of his citizens at stake–we have to pay the price for it.

 Legacy Through Action: What We Owe Apalachee

One year has passed since the shooting at Apalachee High School, and the grief remains heavy. Families are still mourning children and teachers taken too soon, while students return to school carrying trauma no teenager should bear. The anniversary is not only a time of remembrance but also a call to responsibility. We can’t allow the horror at Apalachee to be another cycle of “thoughts and prayers” followed by inaction.

Georgia has indeed taken some steps forward. Last year, lawmakers passed House Bill 268, known as the SAVE Students Act, which increased training and awareness around school violence.

 It’s a start, but we’ve still got a long way to go. To truly prevent future tragedies, we must turn commitment into concrete policy and investment.

What must happen now:

• Guarantee long-term mental health support in every school. That means hiring full-time counselors, psychologists, and social workers, not just temporary funds. Students need consistent, trusted support when they’re at their most vulnerable.

• Empower early intervention through training. Expand and normalize programs that teach students, staff, and parents how to recognize warning signs and act swiftly. 

• Strengthen gun safety laws. Georgia should adopt safe-storage requirements that make it illegal to leave firearms where children or teenagers can easily access them. Research shows that many school shootings involve guns taken from the home. A safe-storage law with real accountability would reduce that risk and save lives. 

• Support grassroots advocacy. Organizations like Change for Chee, born from the Apalachee tragedy, are urging lawmakers to introduce a law that would “punish gun owners if their firearm is used to harm themselves or others,” and improve communication between schools and institutions when threats surface. 

We cannot bring back the lives lost at Apalachee, but we can decide what their legacy will be. Georgia has a chance to lead on school safety, not just manage the aftermath of tragedy. One year later, the choice is clear: either we take bold steps to protect our children, or we accept the risk of reliving this pain again. Our students deserve more than promises; they deserve action.

Taking Back the Cockpit of Our Democracy

On September 11, 2001, America was hijacked by men with box cutters and a plan. They turned our skies into weapons and our buildings into tombs. We said “never forget.”

Unfortunately America has been hijacked again — this time not by men in the shadows, but by the most powerful people in the land.

By the President in the Oval Office.
By Senators in their marble chamber.
By Congressmen who treat cruelty like currency.
By Governors who call it “order.”
By the Supreme Court in their robes, handing down terror with the authority of law.

There was more senseless gun violence in America yesterday. Guns outnumber people in this country. 500 million guns. 340 million people. Imagine that.

Gun violence doesn’t discriminate.

Charlie Kirk was shot yesterday and died from gun violence. The individual that believes gun deaths are worth it to keep the 2nd Amendment. It seems that irony outlives us all.

Gun violence is the number one leading cause of death for children and teens in America, and yet the people in power feel no urgency to fix this issue. We seem to be the only country with this problem, and that speaks volumes. Most Americans want stricter gun laws. We deserve gun reform.

We remember the fear of 9/11 because it came from beyond our borders. But the fear today is different. More insidious. Because it comes from the very people entrusted to defend us. This country was meant to be run by us. We the People.

But we can’t say that now. But that doesn’t mean we can’t say it in the future.

Twenty-four years ago, on this day, Americans ran into fire and smoke to save strangers they’d never met. That spirit didn’t die in the rubble — that it lives in us now – and that we must find it again.

Democracy isn’t marble buildings or black robes — it’s flesh and blood, hands and voices, courage and defiance. It’s workers who refuse to be silent. Neighbors who refuse to be divided. Movements that grow too strong to cage.

It’s time to stand up, lock arms, break their hold, and take back the cockpit of our democracy. Because the hijackers are already inside. And the only way to bring the plane down safely…is together.