America Must Choose: Guns or Democracy

There comes a time in the life of a nation when silence is complicity. That time is now.

Gun violence has scarred our country for decades, but today we face a new and terrifying reality: political gun violence. The bullet is no longer just aimed at a school, a church, or a movie theater — it is now aimed directly at the heart of democracy itself.

From assassination attempts on public officials to armed intimidation at polling places, we are watching the foundation of our Republic crack under the weight of violence. This is not just about partisan politics. This is about whether America remains a free nation — or whether fear, fueled by the barrel of a gun, dictates who speaks, who serves, and who dares to stand up for what’s right.

A Rising Threat to Our Republic

Let’s be honest: threats against elected officials, community leaders, and even everyday citizens are skyrocketing. Public service has always carried risk, but never like this. Today, Americans are being forced to ask: If I run for office, will I be in the crosshairs? If I volunteer at a polling place, will I be safe?

I know this worry personally. Having run for office, I’ve experienced the threats that come simply for daring to step into the arena. The fear is real. It’s the same fear that now hangs over volunteers, local officials, and ordinary citizens who just want to participate in democracy. That climate of intimidation is unacceptable in a free country.

This culture of fear is poison. It silences debate. It shrinks civic life. And it hands victory to extremists without a single vote being cast. That is not freedom. That is tyranny by gunfire.

Patriotism Demands Action

We cannot accept this as “the new normal.” The America I know — the America we inherited from generations who bled at Lexington, Gettysburg, Normandy, and Selma — is better than this. They fought tyranny abroad and injustice at home so that we could live under liberty and law. Are we really willing to hand it all away because we lack the courage to stand together against violence?

True patriotism is not waving a flag while threatening your neighbor. True patriotism is ensuring that flag still stands for freedom, safety, and democracy.

What Must Be Done

1. Pass Common-Sense Gun Reforms
   Universal background checks, red flag laws, and bans on high-capacity magazines are not “radical.” They are the bare minimum to protect Americans from those who would use weapons of war against their fellow citizens.

2. Protect Public Servants and Poll Workers
   Democracy cannot function if citizens are too afraid to serve. Federal and state governments must strengthen protections, prosecute intimidation, and send a clear message: threaten democracy, and you will be held accountable.

3. Reject Political Rhetoric That Fans Flames
   Leaders of every party must denounce violent language. Words matter. When leaders flirt with the language of war, some will act on it. Responsible leadership means rejecting hate — not feeding it.

4. Unite as Americans, Not Enemies
   At the end of the day, we are not Republicans or Democrats first. We are Americans. If we cannot come together now — to say “enough” to violence, “enough” to intimidation, “enough” to fear — then our children may inherit a country they do not recognize.

America at a Crossroads

The world is watching us. History is watching us. Will we choose to be the America of courage, compassion, and unity — or the America of fear, violence, and division?

I believe we can choose the higher path. I believe we can honor those who came before us by securing a future free from the terror of political gunfire.

This is not a battle of left versus right. This is a battle of right versus wrong.

And together — as one people, indivisible — we must win it.

Why ICE Detention Centers Are Bad for Indiana and the United States

When most people hear about ICE detention centers, they imagine something far away on the southern border. But the truth is, these facilities affect us here in Indiana — and across the nation — in ways that go far beyond immigration enforcement. They are harmful to human rights, our economy, our communities, and the values we claim to stand for as Americans.

1. They Violate Human Rights

Reports from watchdog groups, journalists, and even federal investigations have documented overcrowding, medical neglect, and abuse inside ICE detention centers. Children have been separated from families, asylum seekers have been denied fair hearings, and detainees are often held in conditions worse than prisons — even though most have not been convicted of any crime.

Indiana cannot claim to be a state that values family and faith while quietly profiting from a system that tears families apart and locks people away in substandard facilities.

2. They Drain Taxpayer Dollars

ICE detention costs American taxpayers billions of dollars every year. Operating private detention centers — often run by for-profit corporations — is far more expensive than humane, community-based alternatives. Programs such as case management, legal aid, and supervised release cost a fraction of the price and have higher compliance rates with immigration court hearings.

Instead of investing in crumbling infrastructure, rural schools, and healthcare for Hoosiers, we are wasting money funding a system of incarceration that does little to solve the immigration process.

3. They Hurt Local Communities

In Indiana, detention centers are often placed in struggling rural towns with the promise of “jobs and economic growth.” But these facilities do not create sustainable economic opportunity. Instead, they bring short-term, low-paying, high-turnover jobs while leaving behind a stigma that makes it harder for communities to attract new businesses and families.

Moreover, families of detainees often move to these towns to be closer to loved ones, but with no support networks, they can become trapped in cycles of poverty. The strain on local schools, hospitals, and social services is real — and rarely addressed by ICE or private contractors.

4. They Undermine American Values

Our country was built on the idea of liberty, justice, and equal treatment under the law. Detention centers turn that principle upside down by holding people indefinitely, sometimes without trial, and subjecting them to mistreatment simply because of their immigration status.

When we normalize indefinite detention and dehumanization for one group, we weaken protections for all of us. If the government can lock up immigrants without due process, what does that mean for the rights of citizens down the line?

5. There Are Better Solutions

Alternatives to detention already exist — and they work. Programs such as community supervision, electronic check-ins, and legal aid have compliance rates as high as 99% while keeping families together. Instead of enriching private prison companies, we should be investing in solutions that are more humane, more affordable, and more consistent with our American values.

Conclusion: Indiana Must Lead With Values, Not Fear

ICE detention centers are not just a border issue — they’re a moral issue. For Indiana, embracing these facilities would mean turning our backs on compassion, wasting taxpayer dollars, and hurting the very communities that need real investment.

We can choose another path. One that prioritizes justice, fairness, and humanity — not mass incarceration and corporate profit.

Indiana should stand against ICE detention centers and lead with policies that reflect the best of who we are.

Why Data Centers Are Bad for Rural Indiana Communities

The Case Against Monrovia and Franklin Township

Across Indiana, tech giants are eyeing our farmland and small towns for massive data center projects. They come with shiny promises of “economic growth” and “jobs,” but the reality on the ground tells a different story. For rural communities like Monrovia and Franklin Township in Indianapolis, data centers pose long-term problems that outweigh their short-term appeal.

1. They Devour Land and Destroy Rural Character

Data centers are sprawling, warehouse-style buildings that eat up farmland and green space. Monrovia — a small town with a proud farming tradition — risks losing acres of fertile soil to windowless concrete boxes. Once farmland is paved over, it’s gone forever. What makes Monrovia special — its small-town charm, agriculture, and sense of community — would be traded for corporate storage facilities that employ very few locals.

2. They Provide Very Few Jobs

One of the biggest myths is that data centers bring a wave of employment. In truth, these facilities are highly automated and typically require only a handful of technicians to operate. Franklin Township residents wouldn’t see hundreds of new jobs — they’d see a handful at best, while traffic, noise, and disruption increase for everyone.

3. They Strain Local Infrastructure

Data centers need enormous amounts of electricity and water to keep their servers cool. That means higher demand on local utilities, higher costs for taxpayers, and less capacity for residents and small businesses. In areas like Franklin Township, which already struggles with infrastructure stretched thin by rapid suburban development, a data center could push utilities past their limits.

4. They Undermine Property Values

Nobody moves to rural Indiana to live next to a giant concrete warehouse buzzing with fans, sucking electricity, and glowing with industrial lights all night long. Homeowners in Monrovia and Franklin Township stand to see their property values fall, while wealthy corporations reap the profits.

5. They Lock Communities Into Corporate Dependence

Once a data center is built, local governments often become dependent on tax incentives promised to lure the companies in the first place. These sweetheart deals mean communities sacrifice tax revenue that could have gone to schools, roads, or emergency services — all to subsidize multinational corporations that give little back in return.

The Bottom Line

Monrovia and Franklin Township are at risk of trading away their future, farmland, and community identity for projects that will not deliver real prosperity. Indiana deserves smart, sustainable growth that empowers rural communities — not predatory deals that benefit Silicon Valley more than Hoosiers.

As Hoosiers, we must ask ourselves: Do we want to be remembered as the generation that traded our fields, homes, and communities for corporate server farms?

The answer should be a resounding no.

The Gerrymander Corn Maze: Where Democracy Goes to Get Lost

Indiana is famous for a few things: tenderloins bigger than your head, basketball hoops nailed to every barn, and, unfortunately, political districts drawn by people who apparently got their maps from a corn maze after one too many lemon shake-ups at the State Fair.

Let’s be clear: gerrymandering is the Hoosier version of a “fixer-upper” house — politicians swear it’s charming, but in reality, it’s crooked, full of holes, and guaranteed to collapse on the people living inside.

Here’s how it works: instead of voters choosing their politicians, politicians choose their voters. Think about that. That’s like the Pacers getting to pick the referees and write the rulebook. And somehow, we’re supposed to act surprised when the other team doesn’t stand a chance.

Some of Indiana’s district maps look less like logical boundaries and more like someone sneezed while holding a red Sharpie. One district winds around like it’s chasing a loose raccoon. Another splits neighborhoods just enough to make sure certain voices never get heard. It’s democracy by Etch A Sketch — and every time the politicians don’t like the outcome, they just shake it up and redraw.

The kicker? Both parties are guilty nationwide. Gerrymandering isn’t red or blue — it’s a bipartisan art form in screwing over the average voter. And Hoosiers are the ones left wandering around wondering, “Wait, am I in District 4, 7, or the Twilight Zone?”

So what’s the result? Safe seats, zero accountability, and lawmakers who campaign less than a gas station hot dog rotates. Gerrymandering doesn’t just rig elections — it rigs democracy.

It’s time we bulldoze the corn maze and demand independent redistricting. Voters should pick their politicians, not the other way around. Because right now, Indiana’s political map isn’t just unfair — it’s an embarrassment.

After all, if we can trust a random teenager to fairly judge a 4-H pie contest, we can surely find a fair way to draw lines on a map.