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Twelve months back, the landscape was completely distinct. Prior to the US presidential election, considerate Americans could admit America's significant faults – its inequities and imbalance – yet they still could see it as America. A democracy. A country where legal governance carried weight. A country led by a honorable and decent leader, notwithstanding his elderly years and declining health.

These days, this autumn, numerous citizens scarcely know the country we inhabit. Individuals believed to be illegal immigrants are detained and pushed into vehicles, sometimes denied due process. The East Wing of the presidential residence – is being torn down for an obscene ballroom. The leader is persecuting his adversaries or alleged foes and demanding legal authorities transfer a huge total of public funds. Soldiers with weapons are deployed across metropolitan centers under fabricated reasons. The defense headquarters, rebranded the Department of War, has effectively freed itself of regular press examination during its expenditure of what could amount to nearly $1tn of taxpayer money. Institutions, law firms, news companies are buckling from leader's menaces, and rich magnates are regarded as members of the royal family.

“The US, shortly prior to its 250^th birthday as the globe's top democratic nation, has crossed the limit toward dictatorship and extremism,” Garrett Graff, commented in August. “Finally, more quickly than I imagined possible, it transpired in this country.”

Each day begins to new horrors. And it's challenging to understand – and agonizing to acknowledge – how deeply lost our nation is, and how quickly it unfolded.

However, it is known that the leader was duly elected. Despite his highly troubling initial presidency and following the warnings associated with the awareness of the rightwing blueprint – following Trump himself said publicly he intended to act as an autocrat only on the first day – a majority of citizens selected him over his Democratic opponent.

Frightening as the present situation are, it’s even scarier to recognize that we are just nine months into this administration. What will three more years of this decline position us? And what if the three years becomes an prolonged era, because there is not anyone to restrain this ruler from opting that additional tenure is required, maybe for defense purposes?

Admittedly, all is not lost. There are congressional elections the coming year which might bring a different balance of power, if Democrats regain either chamber of Congress. We have public servants who are trying to impose certain responsibility, for example lawmakers that are initiating an inquiry concerning the try to cash appropriation from legal authorities.

And a leadership election three years from now could begin our journey toward restoration just as last year’s election placed us on this disappointing trajectory.

There are millions of Americans demonstrating in public spaces throughout communities, like they performed last weekend at democracy demonstrations.

An ex-cabinet member, wrote recently that “the great sleeping giant of the nation is stirring”, just as it did following the Red Scare in the 1950s or amid anti-war demonstrations or in the seventies crisis.

During those times, the listing ship ultimately corrected itself.

He claims he recognizes the signals of that awakening and sees it happening at present. For proof, he cites the widespread marches, the extensive, cross-party resistance to a broadcaster's firing and the almost universal defiance by media to agree to the defense department’s demands they solely cover authorized information.

“The sleeping giant perpetually exists dormant till certain corruption grows too toxic, a particular deed so offensive toward public welfare, specific cruelty so loud, that the giant is forced except to rise.”

It's a hopeful perspective, and I value his knowledgeable stance. Perhaps he will prove to be right.

Meanwhile, the major inquiries remain: is the US able to ever recover? Can it reclaim its standing in the world and its devotion to legal principles?

Or must we acknowledge that the historical project functioned for a period, and then – swiftly, totally – ended?

My negative thoughts indicates that the final scenario is true; that everything might be gone. My positive feelings, though, convinces me that we need to strive, by any means possible.

For me, as an observer of the press, that’s about pushing media professionals to live up, more completely, to their mission of scrutinizing authority. For others, it could mean working on congressional campaigns, or organizing rallies, or discovering methods to safeguard voting rights.

Not even one year prior, we were in an alternate reality. In the future? Or after another term? The reality is, we are uncertain. All we can do is to attempt to persevere.

What’s Giving Me Hope Now

The interaction I have in the classroom with new media professionals, who are both hopeful and practical, {always