By David Bunker, President & Founder - August 2025

I’ve been deeply troubled by what I’ve witnessed in recent months. Those in power are once again using scapegoats—wrongly blaming vulnerable groups for the challenges we face, and calling for them to be “dealt with. We’ve seen this before. 

 

From the so called “Moral Majority” and their attacks on LGBTQ+ people, to the rise of fascist regimes like the Nazis who targeted Jews and anyone who dared to speak out—history has shown us what happens when fear is weaponized and truth is silenced. We must not be silent. We must not forget.

 

As a white man, I’ve been uniquely blessed—with the gift of being gay, with a twin brother whose daily challenges remind me not to take life’s simplest tasks for granted, and with the opportunity to travel and witness both repression and resilience around the world.

 

I’ve seen societies where people are afraid to speak, where scarcity is met with collective strength, and where fulfillment is found not in possessions, but in shared purpose. I’ve been shaped by friends who speak truth with clarity and compassion—who’ve expanded my understanding of culture, tradition, religion, and race. I know what it is to be hated by those who do not know me simply because I fell in love with a man.

 

Without these experiences, I might never have understood how deeply I value being here in the United States. “We are not a melting pot—we are a mosaic. Each piece is distinct in color, shape, and story. Individually, we are beautiful. Together, we are magnificent. Those who fear this mosaic have lost touch with compassion, with our shared beginnings, and with the extraordinary potential of what we can become.” I’m also deeply grateful for those who care for us, feed us, and fight for us— many of whom are not U.S. citizens, but who understand and uphold the values we often take for granted. Today, some leaders use these very people as scapegoats to fuel division and greed. That’s not patriotism—it’s fear and manipulation.

 

We’ve seen this before: Leaders who silence dissent, attack the press, vilify educators, and divide us to maintain power. But we are not powerless—unless we stay silent. 

 

Let us remember the warning of Pastor Martin Niemöller:

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“First they came for the Jews 

And I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for me, but there was no one left to speak for me.”

 

I do not have all the answers, but I know that as a collective group with our magnificent diversity, we have the answers to many of the challenges we face. I believe this is the fear of those in power. I will not let those who divide us speak for me, they do not hold the values I hold dear as a citizen of this country.

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I will not be silent.