Weathering the Storm: Truth, Resistance, and the Fight for Decency

It’s been two weeks since Trump took the reins of our government, and he’s moving at light speed to dismantle it. After a terrible mid-air collision in Washington, D.C., the Commander-in-Chief had the gall to claim it was related to DEI initiatives. That’s like saying the reason you can’t find an affordable house is because you don’t piss sitting down on the toilet.

For years, I heard how Fox News and other conservative outlets were spreading fear to cloak a growing fascism until it was sprung on us. Never mind watching billionaires bend the knee to King Trump. News organizations like The New York Times and The Washington Post are compromised and can no longer be trusted. I have to rely on independent news publications and the Fediverse to hear what’s happening.

When I started Weathered two years ago, it was to bring attention to the plight of Mother Earth and the growing climate crisis. It was to fight for what is right and honorable — for both people and the planet. Little did I know that the words in this small publication would strike a nerve with so many of you — and that’s a good thing.

It has inspired more of you to submit your work to Weathered, and I’m grateful. We’re always open to new voices joining the conversation .

This was a busy week at Weathered. Our editor, Y.L. Wolfe, lent her voice of clarity in the chaos. Her article, I Think I Found the Antidote to 21st Century Fascism… We Just Have to Go Back to the 90s to Get It, reminds us that we don’t long for the “good old days” so much as we yearn for a time when life felt simpler.

We can’t go back to the “good old days.” And let’s not forget that they were never good for a whole lot of people who don’t have the privilege that comes with my skin color.

But in this case, I think it’s important for us to return to some of the simplicity of that time. All these alleged improvements of big tech crippled us with an addiction to convenience and have distracted us so successfully with scrolling and clicking that we barely noticed these men enabling a Christian nationalist coup right before our eyes.

This week, we welcome a new writer, The Meek, who shares his perspective on the oligarchy and how they view everyday people as nothing more than cannon fodder.

Here’s an excerpt from his second Weathered submission: Welcome to Sim City — Billionaire Edition:

Just like there’s the manosphere, there’s a billionaireosphere, wherein the ultra-rich see and regard the world from a top-down view, just as the CEO of a super conglomerate sees the janitor at store #4872 in Tuscaloosa.

And you want to know the best part? When everything goes to shit, they’ve got their doomsday bunkers ready. That’s right — while we’re all scurrying about, trying to decide between eating and keeping warm through the winter, they’re building luxury apocalypse shelters with wine cellars, home theaters, and all the free parking one could hope for. Even the end of the world has to be ushered in with style and extravagance.

I’m thrilled our publication is growing and inspiring people to speak out. Everywhere I turn in my daily life, I see good people starting to fight back — drawing a line in the sand for decency and kindness. We must stand and hold the line — no matter the cost.

It will be hard, and good people will suffer. But the difference between us and fascists is this: They have soldiers who blindly follow their “Dear Leader,” but we have warriors. They are motivated by fear — we are motivated by what is right. They may hold positions of power right now, but we have honor and community.

-T