A Moral Reckoning

Dear American Opposition,

I’m writing out of concern. Not for our politics, but for our humanity.

At this moment, we’re facing a moral reckoning: The president of the United States stands credibly accused of raping children, his administration is covering up the evidence, Congress was shut down to avoid forcing its release, and a large portion of the nation is vacillating on whether to simply live with it and move on.

When I called for the first National Day of Protest on February 5, I did it out of desperation: Having fought on the front lines against Trump in 2020, I knew how much worse it would be this time around. That rather than shoot for incremental progress in building a resistance, we’d be forced to throw hail marys from the beginning to build an opposition—not just a defense, but an effective offense.

That the speed with which Stephen Miller and Russell Vought would execute their assault on our government would put us on the back foot very quickly and likely keep us there through sheer gravitational force.

Others had the same idea I did at the exact same time: Just as I was asking people to protest, so was the movement on Reddit that would become 50501.

We started with a National Day of Protest because we knew that it would be the only viable launch point if the movement was going to have a shot at winning this fight. That we needed to start big and get huge as quickly as possible.

The result has been amazing. Americans are activated. We’re watching a true grassroots movement grow.

Normally, I’d be writing to celebrate that growth. To thank everyone who’s shown up and to invite others to join us.

But circumstances are forcing me to write this note instead. To exercise a point of order as an American citizen and ask everyone to take a moment to reflect on what we’re actually doing.

Child rape must be the line. That must be the moment our national fever breaks. That must be it.

If we allow the raping of children to go unaccounted for—if we don’t hold every single perpetrator, collaborator, and enabler involved fully responsible for their actions, if we don’t punish them—then we have to question whether we, as a people—as a culture—are truly worth saving.

The fact that the president of the United States is involved, that his administration is actively covering it up, and that the presidential office will never recover if this is allowed to stand, adds depth and urgency to the situation.

Everyone in the administration who’s involved in the cover-up—including the vice-president—must be removed from office.

This must be it. This must be the line.

If child rape isn’t the line, there isn’t a line. If this isn’t enough to get everyone to agree, nothing ever will and this whole enterprise may no longer be worth saving.

We need to take a moment. Reflect. We’re talking about child rape. We’re talking about abuse and exploitation. About trauma that shatters lives.

The indefensible.

This is the moment for us to stand up. We have an opportunity to make history.

It’s simple: If Donald Trump pardons Ghislaine Maxwell or the subpoena from the House Oversight Committee is ignored, we will call for the nation to shut down. For a national action to bring everything to a halt.

It would be another hail mary: A massive goal that would require everyone to get involved and make sacrifices for the nation. A huge ask. Probably not reasonable. Definitely unlikely to succeed.

But also quite simply what must be done. What this moment requires.

We’ve been working on a national strike for months, and finding a new challenge around every corner. The more we work, the more difficult it becomes.

We need a paradigm shift, and we need it now.

Hail marys are our thing. We’ve thrown a lot of them already and we’re going to be throwing a lot more.

Failure is acceptable. Not trying is inexcusable.

So please prepare for the possibility that we will have to bring this nation to a halt—even if it’s just for a day—to prove that it can be done. 

To make the impossible possible.

Be ready. More to come.

In solidarity,

Carlos Álvarez-Aranyos
Founder, American Opposition