Day 1: Democracy, Freedom of Speech, and The People Will Prevail
Today marks my first day in a residential facility, where I’m told I’ll be staying for the next 14 to 21 days. I woke up this morning feeling a sense of safety, as the building is very secure. I share a room with another male resident. As he just told me, “This is better than jail,” and I think he’s right. The facilities are nice and clean, the rooms are spacious, there’s a living room area where we can watch TV, a chef who cooks fresh lunches, and the staff is friendly.
I was assigned to clean the dining room tables as my daily chore for the first week. I made sure to wipe the tables after lunch. There are two computers available to patients, with a 30-minute usage limit per day between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. I had some trouble logging into my nonprofit organization’s website and ChatGPT account, as both required a code sent to my phone, which is locked away for security. I had to ask the staff to let me access my phone briefly to retrieve the code. I noticed my phone’s battery was low—only 4% the last time I saw it. iPhone users know that when a battery runs that low, it’s unlikely to turn on again without a charge, so I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to continue accessing it.
Since I don’t have regular access to my phone, my latest blog post, "Amidst the 2024 Election Chaos, a Lost Voice Representing America, the Forgotten, Prevails," was primarily directed at my family back in France. I wanted them to understand why I can’t access my cellphone and explain the reasons I ended up here. I wanted them to know about the anxiety and fear of retaliation I felt after reaching out to Judge Foglietta, who is presiding over Elon Musk's alleged illegal lottery case and interference with the 2024 election. From that same computer, I checked the news and saw that the hearing had been postponed to Monday, November 4th. I’m anxious to see if Elon Musk will appear in court, though I doubt he will.
Today, we had a group session with about six other patients. We were asked to write down five things that make us happy, one thing that recently upset us, and three positive aspects of that upsetting event. For the positives, I wrote my family, my health, the ability to wake up every day, exercise and go outside, and my continued advocacy for ethical AI and workforce preservation. For the recent upsetting event, I wrote, "Donald Trump stating that he will deploy the military on people expressing opposition to his radical views." As for the three positive takeaways, I wrote:
Democracy will prevail.
Freedom of Speech will prevail.
The People will prevail.
I was the first to share my answers. With the election just around the corner, I thought my responses couldn’t be more relevant. The group’s reaction was overwhelmingly positive, which made me smirk; it felt ironic, as the country has rarely felt so divided as it does now, approaching election day.
