Dangerous Words

History has taught us that violence doesn’t begin with bullets. It begins with words. It begins when people are reduced to labels:

“Vermin.” “Parasites.” “Rapists.” “Diseased.” “Not real Americans.”

These words have been mainstreamed. Not just on fringe websites, but in the mouths of senators, governors, presidential candidates, and nightly TV hosts, and TV News. Once this language becomes normal, violence always follows. It gives permission. It destroys empathy. It tells people: These lives don’t matter like yours does. Don´t believe me? Check German history, Japanese history, among others.

The Real Threat Is Not Foreign

While the government stirs fear of the outsider, the real threat is internal. The FBI and DHS have named white supremacist domestic terrorism as the greatest current security threat to the U.S. Not immigrants. Not Muslims. Not Antifa.

The danger comes from within:

• Armed militias stockpiling weapons.

• Racist ideologies spreading through online networks and political parties.

• Elected officials flirting openly with authoritarian rule.

And yet, the law too often looks the other way, or even offers cover.

Why I’m Writing This

Because people I know, people I love, are falling for the narrative. They repeat the slogans. They laugh at the cruelty. They shrug off the pain.

They think: “It’s not that bad.” They think: “It’s just politics.” They think: “They had it coming.”

But that’s exactly how it starts. We’ve seen this story before. Ask history’s survivors. It always starts slowly. Legally. Politely. Until one day, it’s not.

This Is My Line in the Sand

I’m writing this now, publicly, so there’s no doubt where I stood. So one day, if someone asks, “Did you know?” I can say: Yes, I knew.  And I said something.

If You Feel This Too, Say Something

Speak up. Push back. Protect the truth. Don’t let hate go unchecked, especially when it wears a suit and smiles on camera. History is watching. But more importantly, so are our children. The next generation.

And what they need most from us right now is clarity, courage, love without condition, and truth without compromise.

Thanks for reading. Abrazos.

Diego Rojas