What the February.

I’m so sorry, America.

The world is already a terrifying place, but over the past month it seems to have reached peak insanity. We all know why. Unless you’ve got your head well and truly buried in the sand, you know what’s happening in the United States. You’ve heard about the new laws being passed; you’ve seen the images of a certain man performing a certain action with his hand. If you’re in the know, you know that all forms of media in the US are currently being censored. I’m sure there’s plenty more happening that I’m not aware of. I know there is.

If you’re anything like me, you’re shocked. I absolutely knew that things would get bad if a certain someone ascended to power, but I can confidently say I didn’t think they would get this bad, this quickly. Every day I read a new article and feel sick all over again. It feels like a fever dream. Like a dystopian novel come to life. All we need now is some deadly trials and a young adult heroine who will swoop in and save the day, right?

How many lives need to be lost before then?

Even as an Australian, what is happening in America affects me. It affects me as a friend to people who live there. It affects me as an author writing to an American market. It affects me as a human seeing things I’ve only ever seen mentioned in history books suddenly becoming a reality, repeating in a terrifyingly familiar pattern.

All I want to say is this: please check in with your friends. These are scary times, but they will end. They always do. The people currently in power might have money on their side, but they don’t have physical numbers. They don’t have the people on their side. So keep your heads high. Keep your friends close. Share information if you have it, and read up on things if you don’t. If you’re overwhelmed, take a break with a book. After all, you’re a reader. And who of us doesn’t read to escape sometimes?

I’m not diving into the “politics should stay out of reading” debate. Politics absolutely has its place in reading, but people are just as entitled to read to escape politics. Let’s not over-complicate things.

If you’re interested in being educated and keeping up-to-date on things happening in the US, I highly recommend following Brindi Quinn. Not only is she an incredible author of genie romances and other fantasy goodness, but she’s also my go-to for reliable information and eductational references. I’m not educated enough to be able to speak out against these atrocities, but she certainly is. Please give her a follow and help spread her information. <3