​For years, I’ve carried a label that no longer fits. I’ve been a registered Democrat since 2008, a college kid inspired by the hope of the Obama era. I’ve never changed that registration, yet my ballot tells a different story. I have voted for both Democrats and Republicans, but today, I find myself in a lonely middle ground: a political orphan.​

The truth is, I don’t recognize either party anymore. When I look at the leadership in our country, I don’t see public service; I see a “medical-industrial complex,” a disregard for the First Amendment, and a failing education system.​

1. The Medical-Industrial Complex & The Cancer Crisis

As a cancer survivor, this is personal. I nearly lost my life to lymphoma. Now, when I turn on the news, I see a constant stream of Big Pharma ads listing “lymphoma” as a potential side effect. It’s a vicious cycle: they make us sick, they sell us the cure, and both parties cash the checks.

• Both parties are firmly in the pocket of Big Pharma.
• Mainstream media is funded by drug money, ensuring the “rising cancer rates” in this country are never addressed at the root.​

We are being treated as profit centers, not people and this is the defining issue of our generation. We owe it to our children to confront the grip Big Pharma has on our country. Battling blood cancer lit a fire under me, and I refuse to stop fighting until our health is worth more than their bottom line.

2. Freedom of Speech is Not Negotiable

I believe the First Amendment is the bedrock of our society, yet it’s under fire from both sides:

• On the Left: I’ve realized that the Biden administration didn’t just have a “disagreement” with the press, they built a system of suppression. Beyond the raid on journalist Matt Taibbi, we saw the creation of a “Disinformation Governance Board” (which felt like something straight out of a dystopian novel) and a relentless pressure campaign on social media companies. Federal officials were caught implicitly threatening platforms like Facebook and Meta to “downgrade” or remove constitutionally protected speech. Whether it was jokes, satire, or genuine dissent about COVID-19 and the 2020 election, the government was effectively deciding what you were allowed to see in your feed.
• On the Right: The Trump administration has doubled down on the same tactics. We’ve seen executive orders and federal pressure used to target college students for their views on Palestine, with threats of revoking visas and even deportation for protected speech. Violence against protesters by federal agents, and in Florida, we’ve even seen police sent to a woman’s home just for a non-violent Facebook comment about a mayor.​

Whether it’s federal overreach or local intimidation, if the government can decide which opinions are “allowed,” we no longer live in a free country.

3. Education: Truth Over Narratives

Our schools are the future, yet both parties are failing our kids:

• I disagree with the Democratic approach that lacks clear standards and accountability for what is being taught.
• I disagree with the Republican push to divert public funds into private schools.​

We need to stop fighting over narratives and start reinvesting in strong public schools with a curriculum focused on objective truth.

Finding a New Path

I’m tired of being told I have to choose between two versions of the same corruption. I’m a mama, a survivor, and a citizen who wants a country that values free speech, health over profit, and a real education for our children.

We need to focus on voting for a person, NOT a party, because the problems we face don’t care about your political affiliation, they require character and REAL solutions.

If that makes me a political orphan, then I’ll wear the badge with pride. 🇺🇸