Local opinion: I’m mad as hell, and you should be too

In the 1976 film Network, Peter Finch’s character — an evening news anchor drowning in a flood of relentless negative headlines — finally breaks. He’s had enough of reporting on inflation, job losses, crime, fear, and political chaos. One night, he explodes on live TV and delivers one of the most iconic lines in movie history:

“I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!”

Then he urges his viewers to do something wild. “Get up right now, go to your window, stick your head out, and yell: I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!”

And across the country, they did. A chorus of voices — united, angry, and loud— rose up in a shared roar of frustration. That moment was more than just cinematic. It was a wake-up call. A reminder that accepting a broken status quo is surrender.

So let me ask you … What are you mad as hell about?

Are things better for you today than they were a year ago? Five years ago? Since Donald Trump came back into power?

Because here’s what I see:

Unstable, chaotic leadership

Assaults on democracy and our security

Rising inflation, unemployment, and job insecurity

A tariff war, with markets sliding and futures dimming

Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid all under siege

Public institutions gutted, careers shattered, hope stolen

And behind it all? A toxic duo: Donald Trump and Elon Musk. I am mad at them, but not just them.

I’m furious with the Republican lawmakers who’ve traded their spines for MAGA caps. The ones who took an oath to defend the Constitution — then chose to defend Donald Trump instead. They’ve enabled every assault on our democracy, every lie, every act of cruelty. They’ve put loyalty to one man above their duty to us all. And for that, they must go.

We need to make their allegiance to Trump the path to their political demise, and, replace them with people who care about our Constitution, our democracy, and our people.

Yes, we vote in November 2026. But if we wait until then to do something, the damage will be deep — and maybe irreversible. We don’t have the luxury of time. We must raise our voices now. Let them know now that they can’t win back their seats unless and until they begin to support the Constitution they swore to defend.

Call them. Email them. Show up to their town hall meetings (whether or not they show!). Let them hear it. Loud. Unrelenting. Unmistakable.

Let every lawmaker know: We. Are. Mad. As. Hell.

With every speech they make, every bill they back, and every nod toward Trump, they should feel the pressure of millions of angry voters watching and organizing … and remembering.

If you’re mad as hell like I am, don’t stay silent. Copy and paste this message to every social media platform you have. It’s a 21st-century version of throwing open your window and shouting into the streets, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!”

Together, we can raise a chorus they can’t ignore.

P.S. If you’ve never seen that legendary movie moment, go to YouTube and watch the scene from “Network” (1976). Then tell me you don’t feel it in your bones.