This is Not a Distraction

Trump is the main show, and we need to act like it.

Rochester Mayor Malik Evans gathered with a number of nonprofit leaders on the steps of City Hall to announce Stand ROC Solid, a coalition formed to prepare and respond to the federal government’s deep cuts to the safety net.

I applaud this effort, which is unfortunately needed. Trump is spearheading the loss of funding for everything from food to healthcare to housing at a time poverty is worsening. The Census data for 2024, out last week, shows the child poverty rate in Rochester remains a stubborn 40%, with the overall rate ticking up several points to 29%.

But I take exception to something Evans said.

“‘Stand ROC Solid’ is the rallying cry for Rochester’s many and diverse communities of conscience not to be distracted by this chaos,” said Evans.

That’s not a call to action. That’s a call to sit down and look the other way.

No one fights like hell against a “distraction.” No one holds their leaders accountable for not responding appropriately to a “distraction.”

We heard similar rhetoric from County Executive Adam Bello in his State of the County address when speaking of federal cuts: “We are going to stay focused on what matters and there will be no chaos.”

People who have been rounded up and jailed or deported without due process have experienced chaos. People who have lost their jobs because of federal policies have experienced chaos. People who lose their SNAP benefits and Medicaid will experience chaos.

The chaos is here. It’s not a distraction.

Last week, I attended the Westminster Rd. protest of ICE. My social media posts on the incident went viral. As a result, right-wing extremists accused me of inciting a mob and supporting tire slashing. The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement calling the peaceful protesters on Westminster Rd. “violent rioters.” I received harassing and threatening phone calls and emails and an endless stream of vile replies on social media. One person even spoke from the dais at the County Legislature and directed this veiled threat to me: “Tom Homan has your name.”

The deliberate attempt to make political opponents seem violent escalated following the shooting death of Charlie Kirk. Trump is now using his death as cover to oppress political enemies through free speech crackdowns. His administration plans to target liberal organizations that they claim — without evidence — fund violence.

Saying this is a “distraction” is a privilege. As Charlotte Clymer posted, some people are trying to ride out fascism. They don’t want to put much skin in the game because they think it will pass. Others are out there taking arrows and saying all the things that need to be said.

We know who is in which camp.

I want Rochester’s leaders to stand firm — not by urging calm, but by naming the threat and acting to push back. They should condemn attempts to deport our hardworking neighbors and criminalize protest. They should defend free speech and mobilize resources to protect families who will be hurt by cuts. Silence, minimization, and soft-pedaled concern are a kind of consent.

Evans, Bello, and Congressman Joe Morelle were silent following Westminster Rd., a protest that made national headlines. They are selective about when they Stand ROC Solid. As people disappear, as the president threatens political oppression, and as a part-time county legislator gets threats, they hold press conferences insisting they’ve got this.

None of this is a distraction.

It’s a threat.

To all of us.