An Open Letter to Family, Seven Months In.

Hello, family.

I wanted to update you on where Maggie and I stand regarding the current state of our country. While our daily life in Spokane continues to grind along, we’re deeply troubled by what’s happening nationally.

Our Primary Concerns

Three issues are particularly worrying to us:

Federal overreach and Constitutional violations: ICE now operates with a budget 80% the size of the entire United States Marine Corps, essentially functioning as a federal police force. Armed, masked, unidentified federal agents are pulling people off streets and shoving them into unmarked vehicles—not just in distant cities, but here in Spokane, on our streets.

Military deployment against citizens: We’re witnessing the normalization of using federal forces against American citizens on American soil. Just as of yesterday (8/24/25), Trump announced he is (illegally) activating the National Guard in 19 states. This is after deploying United States Marines in Los Angles. Armed National Guard troops are now deployed now in D.C.? How is that okay? With anyone?

What the hell? This is in no way what America’s Founders envisioned. The silence from traditional “small government” and “Constitutional” advocates like the John Birch Society on these issues has been deafening.

Update as of today (8/25/25): Trump signed an executive order to activate the National Guard in all 50 states. That’s pretty bleak, folks, if you’re at all concerned about rule of law versus rule of power.

Messing with our electoral process: Texas has redistricted their House of Representatives districts, not on the regular schedule, but at the request of Trump?

Trump meets with Putin in Alaska for a 3-hour private limo ride and then announces that since Vladimir doesn’t like mail-in ballots, Trump is issuing an executive order to do away with mail-in ballots? We should all be asking… why does Putin care about our voting mechanisms?

Why This Feels Different

Trump’s character issues (34 felony convictions for election fraud, stemming from a cover-up of an affair with a porn star? The glaringly obvious Epstein connections? The E. Jean Carroll rape conviction?) combined with his actions in office have moved me beyond distrust of my government to active fear of my government.

We are witnessing:

• Stripping people of due process. The federal government cannot legally deport people without giving them their day in court. And yet… here we are.
• An executive branch that admits wrongly deporting people, then ignores court orders demanding correction
• The pursuit of rule of power over rule of law
• This is more tangential, but what’s with the odd coziness between Trump and Putin? It would be the irony of ironies if the true conspiracy here is that Russia infiltrated the John Birch Society and turned it into a mouthpiece for Russian interests… It seems plausible. Two days ago, Russia conducted a missle attack on an American electronics factory in Ukraine. Not a peep from Trump. See also: messing with the electoral process, as already mentioned.

Historical Parallels

I compiled an incomplete list of political actions from 1930’s Germany and 2025 America. See if you can identify which political leader took which actions:

• Used populist appeals claiming to represent “the people” against elites
• Scapegoated minority groups and outsiders
• Attacked press freedom, labeling unfavorable media as “enemies” or “fake”
• Attacked academics and intellectuals
• Claimed only they could “fix” the nation’s problems
• Used propaganda and legal tools to target minorities and “enemies”
• Refused to accept electoral losses, claimed fraud, threatened democratic institutions
• Deployed force to intimidate, detain, or suppress opposition
• Showed antagonism toward an independent press and transparency
• Expressed hostility toward institutional norms when they constrained power
• Worked to circumvent checks and balances
• Associated with political violence by supporters

The comparison? Every single action applies to both Trump and Hitler. The eventual scale of Germany’s horrors differ dramatically from where we are right now, but the foundational patterns? They’re remarkably aligned. Frighteningly so.

Our Decision

Given our country’s headlong lurch toward authoritarianism, Maggie and I are exploring moving out of the country. We plan to visit Panama in January (perhaps in October, if the stars align) then spend a month or so exploring living/working options. If current American trends continue, we aim to establish permanent residency there.

This decision hasn’t come lightly. We’re giving up:

• Proximity to our children and family (this is obviously the one that has brought on the most tears and literal physical illness)
• Careers that we enjoy
• Retirement savings
• A wonderful social network
• Decades of the life we’ve built here

What outweighs all of this is the prospect of living in an increasingly oppressive police state. If we can get out now and provide our children a path out too, the writing on the wall says we should act sooner rather than later.

What I’m Asking

I’m not requesting any specific action from you, except this: if you share concerns about America’s rapid slide into an authoritarian police state (just because they aren’t currently targeting you doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist), Constitutional erosion, the stripping of rights from people legally here on American soil, the deployment of a MASSIVE and heavy-handed federal police, and an executive branch lacking a moral compass, it’s time to start talking.

• Discuss your concerns within your social circles
• Call your elected representatives and demand accountability
• Make sure your passport is current and consider having an exit plan

The time for silent worry may be passing.

With love and concern, Mark