Category: Belief

Watergate vs. Today’s Political Climate

On By TonyIn Belief, Elections, History, PoliticsLeave a comment

When Watergate Looks Cute

Yesterday I flew back from a work trip in Iceland.

One of the interesting things about traveling internationally is that people inevitably ask questions about America. They ask about our politics, our economy, our culture, and increasingly, Donald Trump. This wasn’t the first time I’ve found myself trying to explain the Trump administration to people overseas, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

The question is usually some variation of the same thing:

“How can Americans allow this to happen?”

It’s a fair question.

The uncomfortable answer is that many Americans aren’t allowing it. Millions of us have voted against it repeatedly. Millions more have protested it, written about it, organized against it, and warned about it. But our system was designed with checks and balances that require institutions to do their jobs.

Right now, Congress largely isn’t.

The founders envisioned Congress as a co-equal branch of government capable of checking presidential power. Instead, it has become increasingly polarized, increasingly dysfunctional, and increasingly unwilling to challenge presidents from its own party.

The growth of executive power didn’t start with Donald Trump. Every administration since Reagan has expanded the authority of the presidency in one way or another. Democrats did it. Republicans did it. Congress often stood by and watched.

Trump simply took that trend and put it on steroids. Like everything he does, he turned it up to 11.

On the flight home, I was looking for something to have on as background noise while finishing some work on my laptop. I settled on All the President’s Men, the classic film about the Watergate scandal.

Movie poster for 'All The President's Men' featuring two men in suits looking serious, with a background of newspaper text.

I hadn’t seen it in more than a decade. As the movie played, I found myself thinking something I never expected to think: Watergate almost looked cute.

Not because it wasn’t serious. It was. Nixon’s operatives infiltrated the Democratic Party, engaged in political espionage, and attempted to manipulate an election. The cover-up ultimately brought down a president.

At the time, Americans were horrified.

Republicans and Democrats alike eventually concluded that what Nixon had done was unacceptable. Members of his own party confronted him. The institutions worked. The rule of law prevailed.

Front page of The Washington Post from June 19, 1972, featuring headlines about the Watergate scandal, including 'GOP Security Aide Among 5 Arrested In Bugging Affair' and 'FBI Finds Nixon Aides Sabotaged Democrats'.

Now compare that to where we are today.

A sitting president lost an election and spent months spreading lies about voter fraud. Those lies culminated in a violent attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. A mob assaulted police officers, smashed windows, hunted elected officials, and attempted to stop the peaceful transfer of power that has defined American democracy for nearly 250 years.

A large crowd of protesters gathering outside a building, some holding flags, while smoke fills the air and police are present on the upper levels.
FILE PHOTO: Police release tear gas into a crowd of pro-Trump protesters during clashes at a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, U.S, January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo

Think about that for a moment.

Watergate involved burglars breaking into an office building. January 6 involved thousands of people attacking the Capitol itself!

Yet somehow, in today’s political environment, the latter is treated by many as a partisan disagreement rather than an assault on democracy.

Many participants were investigated, prosecuted, and convicted. Then Trump returned to office and pardoned them! That is INSANE! Not just because I do not agree with it. BUT A SITTING PRESIDENT WHO TALKED ABOUT LAND AND ORDER PARDONED PEOPLE WHO ASSAULTED POLICE OFFICERS. Now Trump and his allies have even discussed mechanisms to compensate participants for what they describe as unjust prosecutions.

You can’t justify that to your neighbor here. Can you imagine explaining that to someone in Iceland? How can the generation who lived through Watergate explain it to themselves?

The alarming reality is that the scandal that brought down Nixon would barely survive a single news cycle today. I find that terrifying.

The corruption isn’t just the actions themselves. It is the normalization of behavior that previous generations would have found unthinkable.

  • Conflicts of interest that would have triggered investigations are now shrugged off.
  • Attempts to pressure institutions are dismissed as politics.
  • Open attacks on judges, prosecutors, journalists, and civil servants have become routine.
  • The outrage has been exhausted.
  • The public has become numb.

That may be Trump’s greatest achievement—not convincing Americans that corruption is acceptable, but convincing many that it is inevitable.

I don’t believe that. I cannot accept that.

I still believe most Americans, regardless of party, want honest government. I still believe most Americans value the Constitution more than any politician. I still believe most Americans understand that loyalty to a country must always come before loyalty to a leader.

But belief isn’t enough.

The institutions that protect democracy only work when the people inside them have the courage to defend them.

Congress was designed to be one of those institutions.

Right now, it is failing that test. And until it finds the courage to act like a co-equal branch of government again, Americans will continue finding themselves overseas, trying to explain the unexplainable.

Trying to answer a question that becomes harder every day:

How did we get to the point where Watergate looks small?

More importantly, what are we going to do about it?

Congress must start acting like an independent branch of government again, not a cheering section for whichever party happens to hold power. Lawmakers of both parties need to remember that their oath is to the Constitution, not to a president, a party leader, or a political movement. Oversight is not optional. Accountability is not partisan. Defending democratic institutions is the job they were elected to do.

And for the rest of us, the responsibility is just as real.

We cannot afford to reward cowardice. We cannot keep sending politicians back to Washington who remain silent when principles are tested. Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Independent, or something else entirely, demand more from the people who ask for your vote.

Vote for people with the backbone to tell their own side when it is wrong. Vote for people who will defend the rule of law even when it is politically inconvenient. Vote for people who put country before party and Constitution before career.

Because if enough Americans do that, then maybe someday the question people ask overseas will change.

Instead of asking how Americans allowed this to happen, they might ask how Americans found the courage to stop it.

The growing concentration of power in the presidency will not be solved by the White House alone—it requires Congress to step up and fulfill its constitutional responsibilities. This fall, voters have an opportunity to demand that change. If you are unhappy with the direction of the country, make your voice heard at the ballot box. As I travel, I find myself increasingly frustrated trying to explain the state of American politics. I remember when conversations about the United States centered on its innovation, opportunity, and democratic ideals. Today, too often, those discussions are overshadowed by concerns about political dysfunction, corruption, and a government that seems unable or unwilling to address the challenges facing the nation.

And – NO. I am not running for anything.

Smiling man in a blue blazer and white shirt seated, with a dark background.

Citizenship Requires More Than Blind Loyalty

On By TonyIn Belief, economy, Education, Elections, PoliticsLeave a comment

Maybe It’s Not Trump Derangement Syndrome After All

Every time I criticize Donald Trump, someone inevitably tells me I suffer from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

The accusation usually goes something like this: “Why can’t you acknowledge the good things he’s done?”

Fair question.

As a business owner for more than three decades, a coach who has spent a lifetime teaching accountability, and a city councilor responsible for spending taxpayer dollars wisely, I believe in giving credit where credit is due. If someone does something well, I will say so. If a policy works, I will acknowledge it.

But leadership isn’t judged by a handful of talking points. It is judged by character, integrity, competence, and whether the person in charge is working for the people or for themselves.

That’s where my concerns begin.

Supporters often point to immigration enforcement, NATO spending, tariffs, or cultural issues as evidence of Trump’s success. We can have legitimate policy debates about any of those topics. Reasonable people can disagree.

What troubles me is something deeper.

It is the corruption.

It is the constant blurring of the line between public service and personal profit.

As a city councilor, if I voted on matters that directly enriched my business interests, people would rightly demand answers. If city contracts consistently benefited my friends, family, or financial partners, residents would be outraged. They should be.

The same standard should apply to the President of the United States.

Yet we have become numb to behavior that would be unacceptable from virtually any other elected official.

The Trump family has expanded its business interests while Trump occupies the Oval Office. Cryptocurrency ventures, real estate projects, private fundraising efforts, and relationships with wealthy donors all seem to intersect with public policy decisions in ways that should concern anyone who believes government should serve the public first.

This isn’t a Republican issue or a Democratic issue.

It’s an ethics issue.

It’s a leadership issue.

It’s an accountability issue.

What concerns me even more is the growing use of government power against perceived enemies. In America, we are supposed to settle political disagreements at the ballot box, not through investigations designed to intimidate critics or punish opponents.

One of the great strengths of our democracy has always been that no one is above the law—but equally important, no one should be beneath its protection.

The machinery of government should never become a personal weapon.

As a coach, I often tell athletes that character is revealed when nobody is watching.

As a businessman, I’ve learned that trust takes years to build and moments to destroy.

As a city councilor, I’ve learned that public confidence is fragile and must be earned every day.

Those same principles apply to presidents.

I understand why many Americans voted for Donald Trump. They were frustrated by rising costs, worried about immigration, concerned about national security, and convinced Washington wasn’t listening.

Those concerns are real.

But voting for someone to solve problems does not require blind loyalty.

In fact, patriotism demands the opposite.

We should expect results.

We should demand honesty.

We should insist on transparency.

And we should be willing to call out misconduct regardless of whether it comes from our political opponents or from people we supported.

That’s not Trump Derangement Syndrome.

That’s citizenship.

The real question isn’t why some of us continue to criticize Donald Trump.

The real question is why so many people have stopped holding him to the same standards they would apply to anyone else.

Last night, I attended the Dover High School graduation as a city councilor. As I watched those young men and women cross the stage, I found myself thinking less about today’s political battles and more about the world we are leaving them.

These graduates are entering adulthood at a time of declining trust in institutions, growing political division, and leaders too often focused on winning arguments instead of solving problems. Yet I left hopeful. Every generation inherits challenges. Mine inherited the Cold War, economic uncertainty, and environmental concerns. Today’s graduates face different problems, but they possess the same capacity for innovation, courage, and change.

What struck me most was that the future belongs to them, not the politicians dominating today’s headlines. They will be the entrepreneurs creating jobs, the teachers inspiring children, the healthcare workers saving lives, the public servants strengthening communities, and the citizens shaping America’s future.

That reality places a responsibility on us. We should model integrity, accountability, and respect for democratic institutions. We should show that public service is about serving others, not ourselves, and leave behind examples worth following.

Someday these graduates will sit in city council chambers, state legislatures, corporate boardrooms, and perhaps even the halls of Congress. The question is whether we are giving them a model of leadership worth inheriting.

Turning 60: Reflections on Luck and Life Lessons

On By TonyIn Belief, Hope1 Comment

There are moments in life when you stop and look around and think, “How in the world did I get here?”

A week from now I turn 60.

A smiling man standing on a sidewalk wearing sunglasses, a beige shacket, and cream-colored pants, holding a brown crossbody bag, with parked cars and trees in the background.

That number feels strange to even type. When I was younger, 60 seemed old. Not “getting older.” Old. The age of retirement parties, early dinners, and conversations about blood pressure medication. Now? It just feels like…now. Another mile marker on a road that somehow went by both incredibly fast and painfully slow at the same time.

My wife surprised me with a trip out to Colorado to see our children and their partners. Sitting here looking at the mountains, realizing that the little kids who once ran through our house are now building lives of their own, I understand something I probably should have realized years ago: I am incredibly lucky.

A group of six friends celebrating a 60th birthday, with one person holding a cake that reads 'Happy 60th Birthday!' decorated with whipped cream. The setting appears to be in a bar or restaurant, and there are digital screens in the background.

Not “successful.” Not “important.” Lucky.

I have my health—mostly. Thanks to a pretty solid workout regimen, I am still in pretty good shape. A little more worn down than I was at 25, obviously. A few more scars and surgeries than the average person too. But every scar has a story attached to it. I once read a quote that said, “Scars are just tattoos with better stories.” That feels about right.

And there are a lot of stories.

After college and a brief time teaching school, I knew pretty quickly that my life was not going to follow the traditional path. I wanted to coach gymnastics. Not casually. Not as a side job. I wanted it to be my life.

One thing led to another, and Stephanie and I opened a gym, Atlantic Gymnastics Training Center, in Portsmouth NH. Then another location in Dover, NH. Somewhere along the way, this crazy dream became a business, a community, and honestly, part of our identity. Today we employ around 50 people and have roughly 1,500 students a week come through our doors. Sometimes I walk into one of the gyms and still cannot believe it exists.

A gymnastics coach stands in front of a group of young gymnasts lined up on a mat, with a Puerto Rican flag visible in the background.

What is funny is that I do not actually coach in my own gym anymore.

When my youngest son was in middle school, I made a conscious decision to step back from daily coaching and spend more time at home. I concentrated on the business side of things because I knew those years with my kids were limited. I do not regret that decision for one second.

Then, when he went away to college, life opened another door.

I had time again. So I started consulting. Coaching overseas. Working in different gyms, with different systems, different philosophies, different cultures. I would like to believe I was already a good coach, but traveling made me a far better one. The beautiful thing about teaching is that if you are paying attention, you are also learning.

Switzerland. Italy. Central America. Canada. Different programs. Different methods. Different ways of communicating. Different ways of thinking about athletes and performance and fear and pressure and success.

And somewhere along the way, I grew.

Not just as a coach, but as a person.

I had the opportunity to work with Olympic athletes and world champions. Experiences that a kid from New York who simply loved gymnastics could never have imagined. And now, somehow, I spend a great deal of my life coaching in Italy—to the point where Stephanie and I bought a home there.

There is something about the lifestyle in Italy that fits me. The pace. The emphasis on relationships. The understanding that life is supposed to be lived, not simply survived.

A smiling woman with blonde hair and a man with dark hair enjoying a sunny day at the beach, with the ocean and sky visible in the background.

At almost 60, I still feel like I am learning who I am.

These days, much of my time is spent working with coaches. Helping them grow. Helping them communicate better. Helping them understand that coaching is really teaching. It is education. It is leadership. It is human connection.

Maybe that is the strange gift of getting older.

When you are young, you spend so much time trying to prove yourself. When you get older, you begin to understand that what really matters is what you leave behind in other people. The athletes you helped believe in themselves. The coaches you helped become better educators. The people whose lives became just a little bit better because you crossed paths with them.
Lately, much of my energy outside the gym has been going into writing. I am pouring my heart into a book called Coaches as Educators. In many ways, it is the culmination of everything I have learned over decades in gymnastics—not just about training athletes, but about teaching human beings.

Logo featuring the phrase 'Coaches as Educators' with an open book design, depicting a coach assisting an athlete in a handstand.

I genuinely believe coaching is education. A coach is not simply someone who teaches a skill or prepares an athlete for competition. A coach helps shape confidence, resilience, communication, discipline, and self-worth. We are often with young athletes during some of the most important and vulnerable years of their lives. That responsibility should mean something.

The book is my attempt to move the needle, even slightly, within the coaching community. To challenge coaches to think deeper about how we teach, how we communicate, and how we lead. I want younger coaches to understand that the technical side of gymnastics matters greatly, but the human side matters even more. Athletes may forget scores and medals over time, but they rarely forget how a coach made them feel.

And maybe the funniest thing about being almost 60 is that instead of slowing down, my mind keeps racing toward the next project.

When Coaches as Educators is finished, I already have plans for a second book: From Practice to the Podium. That one will be far more technical—a practical training manual built from decades of coaching, observing, learning, failing, adjusting, and growing. A book designed to help coaches and athletes better understand the long journey from developmental training to elite performance.

A person wearing a pink shirt with the words 'OLYMPIC DREAMS START HERE' printed on the back, standing in a gymnasium filled with athletes and equipment.

I still feel like I have something to contribute. Maybe that feeling never goes away if you truly love what you do.

If that is my legacy, I am more than okay with it.

America Can’t Afford Trump’s Ego

On By TonyIn Belief, economy, PoliticsLeave a comment
  • The Price of Narcissism

There is a difference between political loyalty and political worship. One is healthy in a democracy. The other is dangerous.

What we are witnessing with Donald Trump and much of the MAGA movement no longer resembles normal politics. It resembles a cult of personality. Every failure is someone else’s fault. Every criticism is labeled “fake news.” Every warning from economists, generals, historians, judges, or former allies is dismissed as betrayal. The movement has become centered not around conservative principles, fiscal responsibility, or even patriotism—but around protecting one man’s ego.

And while the cheering crowds chant his name and wear the hats and wave the flags, ordinary Americans are getting poorer.

Trump was elected promising economic strength. Instead, families are watching grocery bills climb, paying painful prices at the gas pump, and struggling with the rising cost of basic goods. His reckless tariff obsessions drove up prices for consumers and businesses alike. His aggressive foreign policy rhetoric and impulsive leadership helped drag the country into another conflict after promising “NO MORE WARS.” Once again, working Americans pay the price while politicians and defense contractors profit.

This is the pattern of narcissistic leadership throughout history: the leader’s image always comes first.

While Americans worry about rent, mortgages, and retirement savings, Trump obsesses over monuments to himself. A ballroom project taxpayers will ultimately subsidize. Talk of a triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., as if America should imitate emperors instead of republics. Vanity projects nobody asked for while roads crumble, schools struggle, and healthcare costs bury families. Reports of unnecessary no-bid contracts handed to friends for cosmetic projects around Washington only reinforce what many Americans already suspect: this administration treats public money like a personal checking account for political loyalty and ego.

And yet his followers defend every bit of it.

Not because it helps them.

Not because their lives are improving.

But because cults require loyalty above reason.

A movement that once claimed to stand for fiscal conservatism now cheers deficit spending if Trump does it. A movement that once screamed about government overreach now applauds when law-abiding immigrants, students, or political opponents are targeted to feed outrage cycles on cable news and social media. A movement that once called itself anti-war now rationalizes another conflict because admitting failure would mean admitting Trump was wrong.

That is the power of narcissism when combined with political tribalism. Truth becomes secondary. Loyalty becomes everything.

The saddest part is this: Donald Trump has shown people exactly who he is for years. He has openly spoken about admiring wealth over service, loyalty over competence, spectacle over substance. He measures success by applause, television ratings, and personal enrichment. The country was supposed to become “great again,” but instead the focus became making sure one man never feels defeated, criticized, or held accountable.

Meanwhile, the American people keep footing the bill.

We are paying more.

We are divided more.

We are respected less internationally.

And we are once again watching America stumble into conflict while being told everything is “historic,” “beautiful,” and “the greatest ever.”

Real leadership is not about building monuments to yourself.

It is not about humiliating enemies or demanding constant praise.

Real leadership is sacrifice. Restraint. Competence. Humility. It is putting the country ahead of your own ego.

America was founded rejecting kings, emperors, and dear leaders.

Somewhere along the way, too many people forgot that.

Open journal with handwritten text and drawing beside lit candle on rustic windowsill at night

The Worst Things Humans Have Done Were Done to Other Humans

On By TonyIn Belief, Education, HistoryLeave a comment

The Worst Things Humans Have Done Were Done to Other Humans

I studied History as an undergraduate, with a concentration in post-war America rather than World War II. For a long time, I focused more on the systems that emerged after the war: the rise of suburbanization, the Cold War, labor shifts, media influence, corporate expansion, and the changing identity of the American middle class.

Recently, though, I started reading World War II diaries.

Some were written by Italian civilians trying to survive the collapse of their country. Some were written by American soldiers processing what they saw overseas. Others came from people who survived concentration camps and somehow found the strength to record experiences that most of us can barely comprehend.

What struck me was not simply the scale of suffering. History books already teach us numbers. Millions dead. Cities destroyed. Entire populations displaced.

What struck me was the intimacy of cruelty.

The worst acts in human history are not abstractions. They are humans harming other humans directly, personally, deliberately.

A guard deciding another person is no longer fully human.

A soldier learning to suppress empathy.

A bureaucracy organizing suffering with paperwork and schedules.

A crowd convincing itself that violence is justified because the victims are somehow different.

That pattern exists throughout history.

It existed in slavery.

It existed in genocides.

It existed in political purges.

It existed in colonial violence.

It existed in lynchings.

It exists today whenever people are taught to fear and hate one another before they truly know one another.

We often talk about history as though it belongs to the past. But history is not dead. History is a warning.

One of the most dangerous myths people believe is that atrocities are committed only by monsters. The reality is more uncomfortable. Many atrocities are carried out by ordinary people who become convinced that cruelty is acceptable, necessary, patriotic, profitable, or unavoidable.

That is why remembering matters.

Not to drown ourselves in guilt.

Not to endlessly relive suffering.

But to recognize how fragile civilization actually is.

The diaries I read repeatedly showed something else as well: people under enormous pressure searching for someone to blame. That instinct never disappeared after World War II. It simply changed form.

Today, many people are angry, exhausted, isolated, and financially strained. Instead of encouraging solidarity, powerful institutions often redirect frustration sideways. Workers are told their problems come from immigrants, neighbors, political opponents, different races, different religions, or people living in different regions.

Meanwhile, many of the people and institutions accumulating enormous wealth and influence remain largely insulated from the consequences of the systems they shape.

I want to be very clear: I am a capitalist.

I believe markets can create innovation, opportunity, efficiency, and prosperity. Human ambition can build incredible things. Free enterprise has improved countless lives.

But capitalism without limits becomes something else.

When profit becomes the only moral standard, people stop being citizens and become consumers. Workers become expendable. Communities become markets. Truth becomes advertising. Human dignity becomes secondary to quarterly earnings.

Healthy capitalism requires boundaries.

It requires labor protections.

It requires ethical regulation.

It requires accountability.

It requires remembering that an economy is supposed to serve human beings, not the other way around.

History shows what happens when systems become detached from human dignity. Sometimes the result is not immediate violence. Sometimes it is slow dehumanization: convincing people they are disposable, replaceable, or undeserving of empathy.

That dehumanization is the first step toward every historical horror.

And once people stop seeing each other as human, terrible things become possible.

The answer is not abandoning disagreement. People will always disagree politically, economically, culturally, and philosophically.

The answer is refusing to let disagreement erase humanity.

The person next door is probably not your enemy.

The struggling family in another town is probably not your enemy.

The worker trying to survive is probably not your enemy.

History repeatedly shows that ordinary people often have more in common with one another than they do with the powerful institutions profiting from division.

Reading those diaries reminded me that civilization depends on empathy more than ideology.

It depends on resisting the temptation to dehumanize.

It depends on recognizing manipulation when fear is used to turn people against each other.

Most importantly, it depends on remembering.

Because forgetting is dangerous.

The people who lived through humanity’s darkest periods were warning us.

We should listen.

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference. Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies. To be in the window and watch people being sent to concentration camps or being attacked in the street and do nothing, that’s being dead.”
— Elie Wiesel, US News & World Report (27 October 1986)

Taking Back “Make America Great Again”

On By TonyIn Belief, PoliticsLeave a comment

You want to make America great again?

Good.
So do I.

But let’s start by being honest about what actually made America great in the first place.

Red baseball cap with the slogan 'Make America Great Again' embroidered in white text.

It wasn’t slogans.
It wasn’t hats.
And it certainly wasn’t loyalty to one man.

America was great because we stood up for what was right—even when it was hard.

We passed laws for moral reasons.
We struck down laws for moral reasons.

We waged a war on poverty—not a war on poor people.

We invested in each other. We cared about our neighbors. We believed that when America succeeded, it was because all of us were pulling in the same direction.

We built big things—dams, highways, universities, research institutions.

We made astonishing technological advances.
We cured diseases.
We explored the universe.

We cultivated the greatest artists, the greatest scientists, and the most dynamic economy the world has ever seen.

We reached for the stars.

And we were able to do those things because we respected knowledge.

We aspired to intelligence.
We didn’t belittle it.
We didn’t fear it.
We didn’t treat education or expertise like some kind of enemy.

And we didn’t scare so easily.

Today, that spirit is under attack.

Donald Trump and the people who enable him have replaced patriotism with grievance. They have turned politics into a loyalty test to one man instead of a commitment to one country.

They mock intelligence.
They undermine truth.
They divide Americans against each other.

And now, once again, they have entangled the United States in another Middle East conflict—one that makes Americans less safe, not more.

That is not strength.

That is recklessness.

The first step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one.

And right now, we have a problem.

America is not the greatest country in the world today—not when we tolerate corruption, cruelty, and ignorance in our leadership.

But here’s the good news:

We can fix it.

Because greatness doesn’t come from slogans. It does not come from rage.
It does not come from lies.
It does not come from bullying the weak, demonizing immigrants, attacking education, or turning patriotism into a costume.

It comes from courage.
From sacrifice.
From intelligence.
From decency.

From citizens who are willing to stand up and say:

We can do better.

If we truly want to make America great again, then the first step is simple.

STOP saying YES to Donald Trump and the politicians who enable him. STOP voting for the unserious members of the GOP whose only goal is to get invited to Mara Lago.

And then let’s get back to the work that actually made this country great in the first place.

Building.
Inventing.
Discovering.
Learning.
And taking care of one another.

That is the America worth fighting for.

And that is the America we must build again. 🇺🇸

The Mandate of Accountability: Defending the American Idea

On By TonyIn Belief, PoliticsLeave a comment

The Mandate of Accountability: Defending the American Idea

It is time to say out loud what too many people are whispering: this is not normal governance. What we are witnessing is an organized abuse of power.

I have spent more than 30 years running a business. I have served on my city council. I have coached athletes who wore “USA” across their chests. I understand what accountability looks like, I understand budgets, and I understand the sacred responsibility one has to the people they serve.

What we are watching right now from the Trump administration is the opposite of responsibility. It is corruption wrapped in a flag.

A Pattern of Abuse

We must be clear about what this corruption looks like in practice. It is a systematic dismantling of our norms and rights, including:

• Weaponizing ICE: Agencies unleashed with minimal training and maximum intimidation.

• Trampling Constitutional Rights: This includes arrests for speech, warrantless raids, and the ignoring of due process.

• Subverting Justice: A Department of Justice bent to serve one man’s personal grievances while Capitol rioters who beat police officers are released.

• Retaliation: Open defiance of court orders and attacks on universities, law firms, and critics.

• Direct Harm: Citizens killed and subsequently slandered to justify the state’s actions.

This corruption is so blatant that even conservative commentators are beginning to sound the alarm.

The Shadows of the Epstein Files

Remember the promise? There was a loud commitment to expose the global crimes of “the elite” and tear down the powerful who abused children in the shadows.

Instead, they are protecting those shadows.

They stall, they redact, they “lose” documents, and they slow-walk disclosures. They claim transparency while hiding the very evidence they once screamed about. This failure has exposed the truth: they don’t want accountability; they want control.

The Strategy of Chaos

If you feel overwhelmed, it is because you are meant to. By creating chaos everywhere at once—in the courts, the press, and our foreign policy—the goal is to exhaust the public and make outrage feel pointless.

Criminals rely on silence and fatigue. But Americans are at our best when we decide we have finally had enough.

The Call to Action

We must anticipate that there will be attempts to manipulate future elections, as we saw in 2020, because criminals repeat behaviors that yield no consequences. To stop this, we must:

1. Organize and Vote: Show up both locally and nationally to protect election integrity.

2. Demand the Truth: Insist on the full, unredacted release of the Epstein files, regardless of who is implicated.

3. Defend the Constitution: Support candidates who prioritize our founding documents over the interests of one man.

4. Refuse to Normalize Corruption: We must pay attention and volunteer.

America is not a man, a party, or a cult—it is an idea. That idea only survives if we have the courage to defend it.

Love of country is not blind loyalty; it is the courage to say we can do better. Register, volunteer, and vote like the Constitution depends on it—because it does.

Infographic titled 'The Mandate of Accountability: Defending the American Idea' featuring various sections on topics such as the weaponization of the DOJ and ICE, constitutional overreach, selective accountability, and transparency gaps regarding Epstein files.

When We Become the Bad Guys: A Nation’s Soul in Crisis

On By TonyIn Belief, PoliticsLeave a comment

When We Become the Bad Guys: A Nation’s Soul in Crisis

Today, in Minneapolis, yet another life was taken at the hands of federal immigration enforcement. A 37-year-old man — a human being with a story, with a life, with loved ones — was shot and killed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during a crowded federal operation. 

This comes on the heels of the tragic killing of Renée Good earlier this month — a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother who was fatally shot by an ICE officer during an operation that reverberated in protests across the country. 

This is not about left vs. right. It’s not about bumper-sticker slogans. This is about the humanity of our nation and the values that we claim to hold dear.

We Have Crossed a Line

When federal agents — agents of our government — kill people on the streets of an American city, it is not just a legal question. It is a moral one.

We must ask ourselves: Who have we become?

Are we a country that responds to people with violence? A nation where citizens and residents can be shot and killed in broad daylight under federal authority — and where the narrative is immediately about enforcing policy before establishing facts? 

Are we a people who have so normalized force that the blood of our neighbors barely registers beyond the headlines?

This Is About Humanity — Not Politics

Let’s be clear: this is not a political rant — it is a cry from the heart. It is about how we treat one another as human beings.

We are at a moment where hurt people hurt people. But that does not excuse it. If anything, it demands a deeper reckoning. Violence breeds more violence, distrust sows division, and the value of a life — especially one taken in the streets of our cities — cannot be reduced to a talking point or justification.

When “Law and Order” Becomes Another Excuse for State Violence

Too often the language of security and enforcement is used to mask the reality of power and control. When your own government agents are perceived by everyday people — across the political spectrum — as threats, something profound and tragic has shifted.

Conservatism, at its core, should mean prudence, restraint, respect for life, and localism. Populism should aim to uplift the people, not subjugate them. But when these policies result in more trauma, fear, and bloodshed — policies justified in the name of “law enforcement” — we are not being conservative … we are being reckless.

This is no longer popular policy. This is suffering inflicted upon ordinary people.

MAGA, Militarization, and Loss of Moral Compass

Whatever else you want to call it, what we are witnessing feels like a nation losing its moral compass:

Armed federal agents policing our streets. Lives ended in moments that should never have happened. Families left to mourn while official justifications rush to defend the indefensible. 

What was once fringe has become institutional. What was once unthinkable has become permissible.

A Message to Fellow Americans

If you voted for the policies that led us here — out of hope for better times, a stronger economy, or safety — I hear you. I forgive you. You were lied to. You were told one thing and delivered something else.

You are a person of conscience trying to navigate an impossible moment.

But if you continue to support this trajectory — not as a critique, but as endorsement — I will say clearly: may God have mercy on your soul.

Because this is not the United States as it was meant to be. This is not the land of justice and liberty for all. This is not a people united in compassion.

What Must Happen Next

We are called not to surrender to despair, but to wake up. To insist that:

Human life is sacred. State violence must be limited and accountable. No person should live in fear of those meant to serve and protect. Our leaders — of every political stripe — must be held accountable.

Every politician who supports the normalization of deaths like these should face the accountability of the ballot box.

This is about the soul of America.

It is time to confront the reality that when the government becomes a source of fear instead of safety, we have failed each other.

We can do better. We must do better.

For the sake of every mother, father, child, and neighbor — for all of us.

Remembering Denise Retrosi- Edmonds: A Life Full of Adventure and Love

On By TonyIn Belief1 Comment

How do you say goodbye to the person who brought you into this world?

To the person who taught you to walk, to run, and to laugh—often at yourself.

A woman wearing a teal jacket stands between two horses, smiling and gently touching one of them. The background features a rural landscape with snow-capped mountains.

Denise  Retrosi Edmonds

July 17, 1946 –  January 5, 2026 age 79

Denise Retrosi -Edmonds passed away peacefully at the age of 79, leaving behind a life so full, adventurous, creative, and deeply loved that it almost feels unfair to try to fit it into words.

Denise was born July 17, 1946, in Canton, Ohio, to Dean and Violet Carlisle. From the very beginning, she carried a toughness balanced by warmth, fairness, and an unmistakable joy for life. My mom was the original badass.

As a single mother early in our lives, she somehow mastered the art of being “spontaneous.” She would give my brother Chris and me a few hours to pack for a “quick trip” to Washington, D.C. or North Carolina. As an adult, I now understand how much planning, sacrifice, saved money, time off work, and sheer determination went into those so-called spontaneous adventures. She made magic look easy.

In 1982, Denise married Robert “Bob” Edmonds. Together they blended their families and raised four strong boys—each of whom went on to find their own versions of success, love, and purpose. She is survived by her husband Bob; her siblings Dean Carlisle (Flo Carlisle), Liz Carlisle, and Lisa McIntosh; and her children Tony Retrosi (Stephanie Retrosi), Tom Edmonds (Indra Edmonds), and Chris Retrosi. She is reunited with our brother, her son Jeff Edmonds (deceased), who was married to Bridget Edmonds.

Through those boys came nine grandchildren who were the absolute center of her world: Madison and Chase Retrosi; Emilia and James Edmonds; Joseph, Michael, and Mathew Retrosi; and Fiona and Oliver Edmonds. She didn’t just love her grandchildren—she invested in them. Hard. Fully. Joyfully.

My Mom spent much of her life in the gymnastics world as a coach, club administrator, and official, judging and coaching all the way up through National Championships.  She was my first coach and mentor. I would not be the coach I am today without the education she gave me. She shaped athletes, but more importantly, she shaped people—teaching confidence, resilience, and how to show up prepared for life.

A selfie of two people smiling in front of a scenic landscape with steam rising from geothermal features, suggesting a cold environment.

She was always up for adventure. She traveled widely, visited many countries, cruised Cape Horn, and seemed to collect experiences the way others collect souvenirs. From Iceland to Italy, from China to Argentina, from visiting family in Sweden to hiking Glacier National Park—if there was something new to see, she wanted to see it.

Music and laughter were constant companions. She loved to sing, performing with groups on the Seacoast of New Hampshire, and she loved entertaining. She was often the life of the party, always dressed to be noticed, always ready to celebrate life.

Silhouette of a woman overlooking the ocean at sunset, with warm golden light reflecting on the water.

One of the most treasured chapters of Denise and Bob’s life was their home on North River Lake in New Hampshire. There, she taught everyone to waterski, and she and Bob were equally happy to provide near-death experiences on the tube. That lake became a training ground not just for balance and bravery—but for memories.

She was never the grandma who quietly baked cookies and whispered reminders. She was the grandma who took kids on expeditions. Picking up our children after a weekend with Grandma and Grandpa was always an adventure report: they had stayed up late to look at the stars, gone swimming and fishing, planted in the garden, gone for hikes, and possibly dissected roadkill. They were introduced to exotic cuisine like Hot Pockets and Cheese Whiz. Vegetables were rarely harmed in the process.

One memory that will never leave me is pulling into the driveway at the lake—both kids flinging their doors open, running full speed, and tackling her in the garden, covering her with kisses while she laughed so hard she could barely stand. I can still hear that laughter.

In retirement, after relocating to Punta Gorda, Florida in 2010, Denise didn’t slow down—she simply changed scenery. She became the grandma of the neighborhood. She gardened, beaded, crafted, birded, kayaked the Peace River, boated, fished, explored. She and Bob turned weekends into adventures.

In her Florida neighborhood, children constantly asked her to “come out and play.” She was loved there as she was everywhere—because she showed up, because she listened, because she laughed, because she made life feel lighter.

I always knew it wouldn’t last forever.

I just wished it lasted longer.

Mom lived boldly. She loved fiercely. She created a life full of movement, music, dirt under her fingernails, grandchildren in her arms, and stories that will be told for generations.

She was an avid reader and especially loved Stephen King novels introducing me to his work when I was about 12 and then my daughter to his writing as well. BTW- we just got a notice that she has an overdue book from the local library. Well- good luck tracking her down! 

Her laughter will echo in all of us.

From Stephen Kings The Dark Tower: 

Go Now, Our journey is done. And may we meet again in the clearing at the end of the path.  

Untitled Poem I wrote the other night. 

She stood like stone and summer rain,

tough hands, an open heart,

fair in her judgments, steady in her love,

never louder than her laughter.

She loved without bargaining,

taught without preaching,

and when life tested us,

she stood firm so we could bend.

Now she has crossed the quiet line,

where strong women are not laid to rest

but welcomed—

cups raised, stories told.

From Valhalla her laughter rings,

bright and fearless,

rolling like thunder we somehow recognize.

We walk on steadier ground because she walked first.

We love more bravely because she showed us how.

And though her hands we cannot hold,

her strength is woven into our days.

Tony Retrosi, 4 January 2026

A hand-drawn quote saying, 'When I look back on life, I want to see I didn't try to age gracefully... I aged hilariously, mischievously, and with plenty of stories to tell.'
Screenshot

What Was Promised vs. What Was Done

On By TonyIn Belief, economyLeave a comment

What Was Promised vs. What Was Done

“No More Foreign Wars”

Promised:

Trump repeatedly said he would keep the United States out of foreign entanglements and end “endless wars.”

Done:

• Expanded drone strikes dramatically

• Authorized airstrikes in Syria

• Assassinated Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, nearly triggering a regional war

• Bombed Venezuelan vessels and openly threatened regime change

• Increased U.S. military presence in the Middle East at multiple points

⸻

“America First” (Not Billionaires First)

Promised:

Trump claimed he would fight for working Americans and stop elites from rigging the system.

Done:

• Passed a massive tax cut where the largest benefits went to corporations and the wealthy

• Oversaw record stock buybacks instead of wage growth

• Left working families with temporary tax cuts while corporate cuts were permanent

⸻

“Drain the Swamp”

Promised:

Trump vowed to eliminate corruption, lobbyists, and insider politics in Washington.

Done:

• Appointed more former lobbyists to senior roles than previous administrations

• Installed family members in powerful White House positions

• Used the presidency to enrich Trump-branded properties through official events

⸻

“Law and Order”

Promised:

Trump said he would restore respect for the law and uphold American institutions.

Done:

• Pressured the Justice Department to investigate political opponents

• Pardoned political allies and donors

• Encouraged disregard for court rulings and legal norms

• Undermined trust in elections without evidence

⸻

“Protect Social Security and Medicare”

Promised:

Trump repeatedly said he would not cut Social Security or Medicare.

Done:

• Proposed budgets that reduced Medicare spending

• Supported payroll tax changes that threatened Social Security funding

• Backed Republican efforts to privatize or weaken entitlement programs

⸻

“Support the Troops”

Promised:

Trump said he would be the strongest president for the military.

Done:

• Diverted military funds to build a border wall

• Reportedly disparaged fallen service members

• Politicized the armed forces for domestic purposes

⸻

“Bring Manufacturing Back”

Promised:

Trump claimed factories and jobs would return to American soil.

Done:

• Manufacturing entered recession before COVID

• Trade wars hurt farmers and manufacturers alike

• Jobs lost to automation and outsourcing were not replaced

⸻

“Fix Health Care”

Promised:

Trump promised a “better, cheaper” health care plan that would cover everyone.

Done:

• No replacement plan was ever produced

• Attempted repeatedly to repeal the ACA without a viable alternative

• Millions remained uninsured or underinsured

⸻

“Respect the Constitution”

Promised:

Trump swore to uphold and defend the Constitution.

Done:

• Attacked the free press as “the enemy of the people”

• Threatened to suspend parts of the Constitution

• Encouraged efforts to overturn certified election results

⸻

“Unite the Country”

Promised:

Trump claimed he would bring Americans together.

Done:

• Governed through division and grievance

• Used race, immigration, and fear as political tools

• Deepened distrust in democratic institutions

⸻

The Pattern

Trump’s presidency was not defined by broken promises due to complexity or compromise.

It was defined by saying one thing and doing the opposite — often loudly, often proudly.

⸻

“Strong Leadership” (Also Known as Mandatory Praise Night)

Promised:

Trump promised strong, decisive leadership surrounded by “the best people.”

Delivered:

A federal government run like a televised loyalty audition.

• Cabinet meetings looked less like policy discussions and more like an episode of America’s Got Talent: Authoritarian Edition

• Secretaries took turns thanking him for the honor of being allowed to sit at the table

• Praise was not optional. It was survival

• Facts were negotiable. Ego was not

• Competence was secondary to enthusiasm

At one point, senior officials were practically tripping over each other to say, “Thank you, Mr. President, for your historic, visionary, unmatched leadership.”

If you closed your eyes, you couldn’t tell whether you were watching the U.S. Cabinet or North Korean state television.

This wasn’t confidence.

It was insecurity with a microphone.

⸻

The Cult, Not the Cabinet

In a healthy democracy, advisors challenge the president.

In Trump’s White House, they praised first, governed second.

• Tell the truth? Fired.

• Disagree politely? Labeled “weak” or “disloyal.”

• Break the law for him? Congratulations, you’re “very brave.”

The message was crystal clear:

Your job was not to serve the country. Your job was to serve the man.

⸻

When leaders demand flattery, bad news stops traveling upward.

Warnings get buried.

Reality gets filtered.

That’s how you get:

• Policy made on impulse

• National security decisions driven by cable news

• A government afraid of telling its boss he’s wrong

Strong leaders don’t need applause.

Authoritarians do.

⸻

We didn’t watch a president command respect. We watched grown adults audition for approval.

And the scary part isn’t that it happened.

It’s how many people are pretending it was normal.

⸻

I honestly feel sorry for many of our neighbors who voted for Trump—not out of condescension, but out of empathy. They were promised prosperity, safety, and stability, and their hopes were real and understandable. Instead, we all lived through chaos, division, and a constant sense that the country was one impulse away from crisis. Our communities weren’t made safer, our costs didn’t go down, and our lives didn’t suddenly get easier. What was sold as strength turned out to be spectacle; what was promised as protection delivered uncertainty. Being misled is not a moral failure—but pretending the damage didn’t happen is how we ensure it happens again.