Many of us are living our worst possible nightmare. But most of us are feeling nothing compared to the people around the world who were stripped of the USAID programs, so callously shut down, without warning. In fact, Elon Musk abolished USAID because of Musk’s relationship with Africa: South Africa in particular. Now, because the Black South African government is “taking property away” from the White landowners, Musk is angry. President Donald Trump has mentioned it quite a few times, how the Whites are “being treated quite poorly over there.”
Trump’s outrage is based on a misinterpretation of a new law – the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024, which came into effect in January 2025. Trump’s action, amplified by provocative comments from billionaire Elon Musk, has reignited debate about the concept of “white victimhood.” Trump and Musk want to see all the civil rights laws changed, leaving the country back where it was in the 1950s. Possibly even before then, back to Civil War times.
There is a long history of this type of behavior in our country. A quote from “The Convict Leasing System: Slavery in its Worst Aspects” by Ellen Terrell in a Library of Congress Blog on June 17, 2021:
“While many believe that the 13th Amendment ended slavery, there was an exemption that was used to create a prison convict leasing system of involuntary servitude to fill the labor supply shortage in the southern states after the Civil War. Black Codes regulated the lives of African Americans and justice-involved individuals were often convicted of petty crimes, like walking on the grass, vagrancy, and stealing food. Arrests were often made by professional crime hunters who were paid for each ‘criminal’ arrested, and apprehensions often escalated during times of increased labor needs. Even those who were declared innocent in the courts were often placed in this system when they could not pay their court fees. Companies and individuals paid leasing fees to state, county, and local governments in exchange for the labor of prisoners in farms, mines, lumber yards, brick yards, manufacturing facilities, factories, railroads, and road construction. The convict leasing fees generated substantial amounts of revenue for southern state, county, and local budgets, and lasted through World War II.”
Blacks and other People of Color, including infants, children, and women, WILL die of starvation because they can no longer get the ONE MEAL a day from USAID that is keeping them alive. Many of the Black people brought into the United States from Africa died of lack of food, horrible conditions and, when they got here, being worked too hard and not given enough food. Jewish and Polish people, among many others, died in the so-called Concentration Camps, which should have been called death camps, in Germany during WWII, the Hitler/NAZI War on people Hitler considered ‘inferior.’ Now we, in the richest country on earth, WILL allow THIS government, controlled by the 0.1—1% of the wealthiest people, to discriminate against the poor in other countries, as well as just like the poor, the working poor, and the working/middle classes in America. As a nurse, and as a human being, this makes me sick to my stomach.
With the loss of USAID, newborn babies who, through no fault of their own, have HIV/AIDS at birth will be denied medication that will keep them alive; most, will die at 2 -3 months of age. Older children denied the same medication will get sicker and die prematurely. The women/mothers with HIV/AIDS, most of whom got it from their husbands, will die young without this medication, most likely leaving behind young children at home. The husbands, who were simply selfish men, will die, too. The children left behind will die of starvation or disease quickly, of course not without immense suffering.
As a result of not having immunizations and medication, children and non-vaccinated adults will die of diseases such as malaria, measles, meningitis, pneumonia, tetanus, polio, and other vaccine-preventable diseases. They will also die of and spread Ebola virus without the sanitation needed to prevent the spread. These diseases will come to the U.S. because of airplane travel by those who either do not know they are infected, or don’t care. In addition, because of people like RFK Jr., who spread and will continue to spread lies about immunizations, young infants and children who have not been vaccinated will get sick and many will die from the infections they will be exposed to and get, diseases like measles, RSV, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, and God only knows what else, all of which are preventable through vaccinations.
I am asking all those who voted for Trump, and those Republicans in the House and Senate who do not have the backbone to stand up to Trump or Musk for fear of being reprimanded: Is this what you voted for? Is this what you wanted? You and others like you are culpable. Do you really want blood on your hands, on your hearts? If not, do something. Write or call the people you elected and tell them in no uncertain terms that this is not what you voted for and not what you want. It is not too late, but it will be soon.
Peggy Van Sickle
Brighton
