Standing Up To Bullies and Protecting Vulnerable Communities
I was talking to a friend a while back and he told me that this Trump era is going to test whether we have the courage to stand up for vulnerable communities that are being targeted by Trump.
I am not a naturally brave person. Sometimes, I've had courage. But sometimes I haven't had courage.
One time I remember when I didn't have courage is when I was very young. I saw a girl named Crystal Smith get constantly get bullied. I didn't have the courage to speak out for her.
Now Donald Trump and his administration is bullying vulnerable individuals and communities who are unable to fight back.
My fellow political cartoonists have helped inspire me to be braver in my political cartoons. And when I have attended political rallies, I get courage from my fellow Americans who are bravely speaking out against Trump.
I'm inspired to be brave by being around people who are braver than I am.
Here is a youtube video showing my process for creating this cartoon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5VC_DIRP6w
REFERENCES
"Mass Deportation: Analyzing the Trump Administration’s Attacks on Immigrants, Democracy, and America" by The American Immigration Council
https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/report/mass-deportation-trum…
"The Price of Cruelty: How Trump’s Mass Deportation Agenda Endangers Us All" by Sarah Krieger for National Immigration Law Center
https://www.nilc.org/articles/the-price-of-cruelty-how-trumps-mass-depo…
"Human Rights Campaign Foundation and Lambda Legal Urge Court to Affirm Ruling Blocking Trump Administration’s Transgender Military Service Ban" by Aneesha Pappy for Human Rights Campaign
https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/human-rights-campaign-foundation-and…
"Transgender Service Members Respond: U.S. Air Force Denies Retirement Benefits to Trans Troops" by Angela Dallara for GLAAD
https://glaad.org/transgender-service-members-respond-us-air-force-deni…
"Donald Trump’s War on History" by David Corn for Mother Jones
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/04/donald-trump-war-on-histor…
"How Trump's Attacks on Democracy Put the Constitution at Risk" by Deidre Schifeling and Sarah Longwell for the ACLU
https://www.aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/how-trumps-attacks-on-democra…
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Very good.
Angelo,
You are very courageous. You might not have been as a child and young man, and that is ok. Time and life experience builds courage and bravery. No one wakes up one day as a child saying I am going to Superman today and make this a perfect world. It evolves over time and you are doing an excellent job at channeling your courage with your on point political cartoons. Stay strong and I look forward to your future posts.
Thank you Jean and Fadi. I appreciate it.
Jean, I've always regretted not interceding when Crystal was being bullied. I sat next to her once in a class. She was so used to being bullied that she just kept to herself and never spoke to me. I saw her get bullied mercilessly and I never did anything to defend her, so I don't blame her for not talking to me. It's something I've always been ashamed of.
I hope she's living a good and happy life now and that those emotional scars at school have healed.
Part of my life journey is to try to be more brave, even though I'm not a naturally brave person.
What courage I have, I channel into my political cartoons. I try to use my cartoons to defend vulnerable minority groups who are being targeted by autocratic governments or extremist religious groups.
Yes!
Angelo, I truly enjoy your satirical cartoons. This particular one is very deep, revealing of your compassion and empathy . It is my hope that Crystal becomes aware of your apology, and that you can be as brave as you want to be. It is in you, it's in your cartoons! Keep the pen rolling. Remember words, written or spoken, are strong and show bravery.