We cannot ignore the reality: when funding is weaponized by politics, our work and the communities we serve become collateral damage. Even worse, we will soon see many organizations, out of sheer survival, begin to betray the essence of their mission just to secure the next check. When the pressure is high, mission drift becomes real.

When we live in a world where selfishness is normal, we start to lose sight of what really matters: people. Relationships, community, and love get pushed to the side because we’re too busy climbing ladders that don’t even lead anywhere worth going. We see it every day—families torn apart over money, neighborhoods destroyed because of greed, and people stepping on each other just to get ahead. And for what? So a few at the top can keep getting richer while everyone else struggles to survive?

The deaths of Robert Brooks and Samuel Harrell are not isolated incidents; they’re symptoms of a system that thrives on violence and dehumanization. We can’t just shrug these tragedies off as rare events. Every person who enters a prison deserves to serve their time without being subjected to abuse.