Rev. Colleen Irwin

The Unseen War: A Call to Conscience While Leaders Look Away

What happens when justice becomes selective while our leaders look away? When silence from our leaders becomes its own form of violence? These are not abstract questions anymore—they are shaping lives around us.  As a spiritualist minister, I can’t stand silent while our communities suffer. To do so would be to become complicit in the very injustices I’m called to speak against. I’m not just struggling; I’m bearing witness to a quiet war on our families, a devastation hidden behind official statements and political theater.

The Human Cost of Silence

Every day, families are being ripped apart, and the silence from those sworn to protect us is deafening. The headlines whisper of “ICE raids targeting criminals,” but the reality I see—the reality my neighbors, friends, and coworkers face—is far crueler. These aren’t nameless strangers; they’re mothers detained outside their child’s school, fathers pulled from their workplaces, people who follow the law, pay their taxes, and contribute to the very fabric of our shared life. They’re legal residents, striving for a life without fear, yet treated as threats. This is the real, raw pain that tears at our social fabric, leaving families shattered and trust annihilated.

The Distraction of Dysfunction

It’s agonizing to reconcile this profound human suffering with the chaos emanating from Washington. While real lives are upended, while fear and injustice spread like wildfire, our elected officials seem engrossed in a theater of doubt and distraction. We’re told the election was secure, yet those in power continually cast doubt on it. This contradiction isn’t just baffling; it’s a profound diversion from the immediate, tangible pain before us. Perhaps keeping us afraid and distracted is precisely the point. Make people so desperate to stay invisible, they stop asking questions. Morality becomes optional. Humanity becomes inconvenient.

A Frightening Possibility: Broken Foundations

While they so readily cast doubt on the very foundation of our democracy—our elections—consider this frightening possibility: what if those claims of a compromised election are true? Would it then justify the ongoing raids, the tearing apart of families, the casual cruelty? Or would it expose a broken system far worse than we ever imagined—a system where injustice isn’t an accident, but a deliberate feature? These are the questions of conscience we must confront.

A Plea for Decency and Leadership

I’m not asking for the impossible. I’m begging for basic decency. Stop pretending this isn’t happening. Stop hiding behind silence and strategy. Our communities are terrified, and you—our representatives—you have the power to act. This plea echoes across the nation, but to those who specifically represent me—Joe Morelle, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Chuck Schumer—this is your particular call to leadership. This is your moment to lead. You’ve spoken out before; now, act. Protect the dignity of legal residents and their families. Demand accountability for these cruelties. End unjust detentions. Fund community support, not fear. This is a test of your character, your leadership, and your very humanity. To fail to act is to fail us all.

Our Moment to Rise

This struggle isn’t mine alone. If this pain stirs your heart, if the spirit of justice moves you, then your voice is needed now more than ever. Do not stay quiet. Write the letters that demand justice. Make the calls that refuse complacency. Stand shoulder to shoulder with those whose voices have been stolen. We won’t wait for change; we will be the change. With courage as our guide and truth as our weapon, we will shatter the silence that fuels injustice. They’re watching us now. Let them see a united force they cannot ignore. This is our moment to rise. And rise we will—until justice is more than a word. Until humanity wins.

Joe Morelle. Kirsten Gillibrand. Chuck Schumer. I am watching. Do not underestimate how deeply your silence cuts. Lead now—or step aside for someone who will.