A message from a Danish friend that really hit home:

“Dear Americans, Look Inward

I write this as a Dane, from Denmark. From here — and with Greenland very much in mind — it may appear that we fear the direction the United States is heading. And we do. But the truth is that you — as an American — are far more frightened.

You live in a country where power turns against its own people. Where the military is used at home. Where democratic institutions are weakened while fear becomes a governing tool. In that reality, silence is not neutral. It is a survival strategy.

So, you do things to convince yourself that everything is fine. You scroll. You binge-watch. You drink a little more. You choose sitcoms over news. You post a smiling selfie, add a stronger filter, and write: “Doing great.”

You stay quiet because speaking up can cost you your job. Because your employer fears losing contracts. Because schools, boards, and communities prefer calm over courage. So denial becomes routine. Distraction becomes normal. Comfort replaces truth. But fear does not stop there. You begin to police yourselves. You watch each other. You suspect each other. You question motives. You report. You label. You call fellow citizens extremists. You call them terrorists. In the name of security, you learn to mistrust one another.

And then think about this: when you dream of a bigger gun, a stronger caliber, more firepower. Ask yourself whether that weapon is protection, or a mirror. Whether the need for a larger gun is not a sign of strength, but a measure of how afraid you have become. Fear has many faces. Fear of those who call themselves patriots but threaten instead of arguing. Fear of your neighbor. Fear of the police. Fear of being open, kind, or publicly disagreeing. From the outside, this does not look like freedom. It looks like a frightening society pretending to function.

And then there is the thought you try hardest to suppress: that people willingly choose not to be part of the United States. Not out of hatred. Not out of jealousy. But out of clarity. That must be brutal and deeply disorienting to face — especially because, deep down, you already know why.

So, look inward. Not as a nation. As a person. Because democracies do not collapse in one dramatic moment. They fade while people convince themselves that everything is fine.

Kind Regards,

Jacob