The Rise & Rekindle Manifesto: For Those Who Refuse to Unsee

A call to the grounded majority—because truth matters, courage is contagious, and silence is no longer an option.

I’m a proud American. I always have been. But lately, that pride feels heavy – like trying to hold up a flag in a hurricane, while everyone around me is trying to tear it down.

Every morning, I wake up to headlines that make me question if logic, dignity, or hope even exist anymore.

Some days, I wonder if it’s already too late to fix it all. Other days, I tell myself it doesn’t matter because I’m just one person.

But then I look at my kids, and I realize it does matter. It matters more than anything.

Because what kind of world am I leaving them if I stay silent?

Deep down, I know the truth:

It’s never too late to rise.

I haven’t always spoken up. For most of my life, I kept my head down and did what I thought was expected of me. I believed that if I worked hard, stayed quiet, and focused on my own family, the world would sort itself out.

But lately, it’s become impossible to ignore how quickly everything is unraveling. Our morals, our sense of truth, our connection to each other – it’s all fraying at the edges. And the longer we let it fray, the fewer threads will be left for our kids to hold onto.

I watch people shout each other down instead of listening. I see words twisted until they mean nothing. I see people too afraid to speak up because they’re terrified of being torn apart by the mob.

And I’ve realized that staying silent isn’t protecting me. It’s only feeding the chaos.

That’s why I’m here now.

I started Rise & Rekindle because I’m done watching everything burn while we stand by with buckets of water in our hands, refusing to act.

I believe we don’t need to burn everything down to build something better. We just need to rise above the noise and rekindle what we’ve lost – our common sense, our dignity, our courage, and our hope.

Starting over wipes out the good along with the bad, but rekindling saves what’s worth keeping.

This isn’t about left or right. It’s not about fitting into anyone’s narrative.

It’s about remembering who we are and who we could be again if we stop letting the loudest and most extreme voices dictate everything.

Here, I’ll share the truths I see, the questions I’m asking, and the hope I refuse to let die – even on the days when it feels easier to just give up.

Because if there’s one thing I know, it’s this: we can’t rekindle anything if we don’t rise first.

I don’t have all the answers. I’m not here to pretend I do.

But I know that if you’re still reading this, then you’re probably exhausted too. Tired of the noise. Tired of the division. Tired of feeling like it’s all slipping away.

And maybe, like me, you’re ready to rise. Maybe you’re ready to rekindle what matters.

In the weeks ahead, I’ll be sharing the truths we’ve forgotten, the questions we need to ask, and the steps we can take to rise together.

So if you’re ready—truly ready—to rise and rekindle what matters, then welcome.

This space is for those who refuse to unsee.

Because once you’ve seen the truth, you can’t go back.

But you can move forward. And together, we can light the way.