My grandparents passed down a profound sense of historical responsibility: to them, their greatest failure was not preventing the rise of fascism. They made it clear that future generations have a binding duty to ensure it never happens again. Fascism doesn't drop from the sky out of nowhere; it is the endpoint of a gradual decline. It begins long before systemic destruction sets in—rooted in subtle humiliation, targeted devaluation, and everyday degradation of human beings. Simply observing these warning signs in silence is not enough. My duty as a citizen is to recognize these patterns early and call them out directly.
