About a week ago, I woke up, opened my phone, and immediately turned it off. Every single social media site and news app was depressing to look at. Another family was ripped apart, a citizen was shot, or a new hate campaign begun. Peace has become a foreign concept in this country. The rest of my day was tainted by sadness that our democracy is falling apart.
With this feeling becoming too prevalent in my daily life, I decided to look further into what is causing these travesties. It is obvious that our current administration plays a key role, yet there is something deeper that stems from this. It was not until I was in bed, spiraling about the events of the day, that I realized what it was. It is the lack of empathy in our so-called leaders that seeps into the people of our country.
So, what actually is empathy? By, the Merriam-Webster definition, it is “the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another.” I remember being in middle school when I was forced to take a class that taught the basics of empathy. There was even a stupid music video about “putting yourself in someone’s shoes” with Converse sneakers dancing on my screen. I felt it was an incredibly useless waste of my time, that everyone knows what empathy is. It is innate in human nature, I thought. But it has become clear to me in the past year that empathy has become scarce.
The President of the United States plays a major role in influencing public opinion. This becomes problem when the president is apathetic towards those different than him. At Charlie Kirk’s memorial, Donald Trump said, “I hate my opponents and I don’t want the best for them,” to nearly 100,000 followers. While this may only be a small portion of the population, the message still became widespread: it is okay to hate those who disagree with you.
This perspective shows through Trump’s policies he has implemented in the past year. Trump championed his “Big Beautiful Bill” only a few months into his second term. One of the many things this bill did was expand the role of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), providing for 10,000 new personnel. Chaos has ensued since July 2025, when the bill was passed. ICE’s presence has grown exponentially, spreading fear nationwide. It was not long until people began to question the ability of these agents to do their jobs.
Luis Conejo Ramos, a five-year-old preschooler, was detained without his parents by ICE in late January. He was later reunited with his father as they were placed on a plane to a detention center in Texas, over a thousand miles from their home in Minneapolis. Their claims for citizenship were still pending when they were taken into custody, leaving Ramos’ mother behind. It should be unfathomable that a young child should become a pawn in the United States’ political game, yet that is exactly what is happening. After being released from custody, it has been reported that the Trump administration seeks to expedite Ramos’ hearing, which would in turn expedite their deportation. The most disturbing part: other children around the country have been taken into custody by ICE. The most innocent and helpless people in our community are falling victim to an agenda filled with hate.
ICE has not only reigned terror by snatching people off the streets, but also by killing them. On Jan. 7, 2026, Renee Good, a Minneapolis local and American citizen, was shot and killed by an ICE agent. This event occurred after the deployment of ICE in the city, which caused an uprising from residents. Good was one of many who were attempting to push ICE out of their neighborhood. She was shot three times, with a fatal shot to the head, while attempting to drive away from the scene. Just two weeks later, on Jan. 24, another American citizen, Alex Pretti, was shot and killed by ICE agents. It was believed that Pretti was carrying a gun while confronting the agents. In a video shot by witnesses, the gun is removed by an agent, followed by nine gunshots.
There has been heavy debate over whether these shootings can be deemed self-defense. In the case of Good, our administration initially stated it was self-defense. Kristi Noem, our Secretary of Homeland Security, called Good a “domestic terrorist.” They eventually rescinded that statement, which Trump followed with calling the incident a tragedy and saying that “ICE will make mistakes sometimes.” In Pretti’s case, critics focus on his possession of a weapon and his intentions. But there is one thing that our people and politicians need to agree on: the U.S. has ultimately gone too far. The organization that was implemented to “protect” the U.S. is destroying it.
In times like these, it is up to citizens and those with privilege to stand up for those who can’t. Yet, many have seemed to adopt the same lack of empathy that Trump proudly exhibits. By seeing him get away with this, it is believed that they can act the same way in their everyday life, feeling as though there will be no consequences. Unfortunately, they may be right. Consequences are hard to implement when your government sees no wrongdoing.
Where Americans lacked empathy most recently was in the response to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Performance. It is not the first time Latino performers have headlined the Super Bowl, with Shakira headlining with Jennifer Lopez in 2020. There, the response was overwhelmingly positive. The biggest conflict came two years later from JLo’s documentary “Halftime” where she addresses the National Football League (NFL) for having two headliners and only 13 minutes to perform. The celebration of their culture was a huge part of the performance, and during that time, it amassed lots of support.
Bad Bunny’s performance unfortunately received a lot of hate, both before and after the Super Bowl. After the announcement, Trump said, “Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the world.” Once again, not a great response from the guy who should be fostering unity. After the performance, many took to twitter to express their hatred and racism. One tweet writes “If we can learn anything from Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, it’s that we should be deporting even more people.” The performance was an ode to Bad Bunny’s homeland of Puerto Rico, and attempted to foster the unity that Trump lacks. At the end of the performance, Bad Bunny recognized all countries in the Americas before quickly stepping off the field.
Instead of supporting a Spanish-speaking artist, many would rather support Turning Point USA’s “All-American Halftime Show,” featuring white country stars. One of these performers includes Kid Rock, who has had questionable lyrics regarding with minors. He claimed that this conservative show was for those who “Love America, love football, and love Jesus.”
We can also look at the treatment of athletes currently competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics. When being interviewed, they were obviously questioned about the state of the United States with ICE’s presence. Being media trained and also having morals, they called out the actions of our president. As a result of this, many people have waivered in support, calling them “un-American.”
There are two main points that I would like to acknowledge amidst this lack of empathy: the definition of being American and the difference between patriotism and nationalism. Being American has an extremely broad meaning. But in the end, it means supporting equality, liberty, and democracy. Instead, it has turned into a weapon against those who are not white, rich, and English-speaking. Remember, when you see a claim that someone is “un-American,” try to decipher for yourself whether that person is not upholding the qualities of the U.S. or if they are just being targeted by bigots for being different.
As for being a patriot, I can be proud of my country for winning the Olympics, while also calling out the abuse committed by our government. I can acknowledge that this country provides privileges to me that other countries may not, but also recognize that is not the case for everyone. Nationalists, however, say that the U.S. is the best country in the world, putting it first among everything else. When this is questioned, a common response is to immediately be on the defensive. Oftentimes, this perspective leads to racism and further conflict. It is important to know the differences between these two ideas to keep our country safe from further division.
I was talking to my friend Kate while we were at the women’s hockey game recently. The National Anthem started to play, but it felt distasteful to stand. How can we stand here, hands on our hearts, and listen to this song when this land is no longer free? When families are being ripped apart? I had been feeling incredibly pessimistic about our country. But she mentioned an interesting point that made me feel optimistic instead. “The Star-Spangled Banner” was written after the American flag was still flying after a fiery battle with Britain, with soldiers fighting for freedom from the monarchy. Kate reminded me that even in these trying times, there are still people coming together to fight the fascism plaguing our country. There is still a chance for our country to overcome this.
Our leaders may not be empathetic, but we can be. These stories are not just stories of a country facing strife, but real people’s lives. It is so important in times like this, as silly as it sounds, to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. Check your privilege and do not allow this administration to fill you with hate. We are all Americans.