A Personal Message from the MeidasTouch Co-Founder Ben Meiselas and MeidasTouch Network Jan 30 Written by Ben Meiselas Hey Meidas Mighty. This is Ben Meiselas, Co-Founder of the MeidasTouch Network. I wanted to share a personal story with you today about something that is happening across the country right now. It serves to solidify my resolve for working so hard to grow this network with you each day and to sacrifice every ounce of my being to our collective resistance. As some of you may know, my wife Xochitl is a first-generation American, born in America, and her family—my family—is from Guadalajara and are all citizens. Xochitl and I have a daughter named Ximena. Xochitl and I love visiting the beautiful town her family grew up in within Guadalajara. We hope to take our daughter there soon. A side note on my wife Xochitl. She is my rock. Without her, it’s hard to imagine I’d follow a career path and take the risks that led me to start the MeidasTouch Network with my younger brothers. I am also very lucky that she puts up with me making so many videos and doing so many shows each day and not getting much sleep. Xochitl, if you are reading this, I love you. Xochitl’s side of our family lives in a predominantly Mexican neighborhood in Los Angeles. I love the culture and energy of that town. But things have changed there since Trump’s inauguration. The people in that town are in panic. Many people who work aren’t showing up. Our nephews, who are in elementary and middle school, tell us how scared they are and how scared their classmates are. The kids are being taught what to do if they are “rounded up by ICE.” The kids are being given small cards helping to explain their rights and what to do if they are suddenly stopped by ICE. My sister-in-law has had to have very tough conversations with her kids. “Mom, why do people hate us?” “Mom, I don’t want to be deported.” “Mom, are they coming for me?” “Mom, will we be ok?” “Mom, why aren’t my friends showing up for class anymore?” One of the things the school has been instructing the kids is to be respectful if their classmates and friends stop showing up to class or stop communicating with them. They explain it’s for their safety and the safety of their families. The churches in the community are delivering similar messages. This is heartbreaking. I love my nephews. Trump’s actions are a direct assault on my family. But this isn’t about me. I am lucky and blessed to be recording for the MeidasTouch Network or teaching as a member of the law faculty at a law school. I feel like my job is easy. I just can’t imagine the pain and fear my nephews are going through, and the pain and fear my wife’s side of the family is going through, and how tens of millions of Americans are waking up in America with this same fear, pain, and suffering each day. I am devastated that this is America with Trump in charge. When I wake up each morning, write these posts, and direct our team at the MeidasTouch Network on what to do each day, or do my best to rally the MeidasMighty, I want you to know this fight is deeply personal to me. Yes, Trump is attacking my family, but he is also attacking millions of families across the country with his assault on so many groups and communities. Thoughts and prayers are not enough. Action is needed. Real decisive action. To anyone who feels powerless right now, or scared, I want you to know that I am doing my best to fight for you each day. I may not always be perfect, and I may make mistakes along the way, but you are the first thought on my mind when I wake up in the morning right alongside my family. I changed my previous career to build this network with my brothers to try and create the infrastructure to fight back against the bullies, the fascists, the crooks, the grifters, and the wannabe authoritarians. That is what we are doing each day with the Meidas Mighty. I know the tears shed by my nephews, and their mom, and their classmates, are the same as those experienced by so many right now. But out of this darkness, I already see signs of hope. Our resistance grows stronger each day and our collective purpose becomes clearer. We win small battles, which lead to winning big battles, which has the hope of inspiring the nation and the world to win this war for democracy. There is a reason the MeidasTouch Network as an independent network is growing faster now than any corporate media network in the world. Together, with you the Meidas Mighty, we are proving that a people-powered network can defeat the disinformation Death Stars created by the billionaire oligarchs. No one said this will be easy. But Meidas Mighty, I give you my word. We will fight shoulder to shoulder, every day, and we will win in the end. The truth will prevail. Love will prevail over hate. Democracy will prevail over fascism. Whether it’s my nephews, my family, my Meidas Mighty family, or all those looking for a voice in this perilous moment, let me commit all that I have, and every fiber of my being, to put it all on the line for you. It’s time for “we the people” to let our voices be heard. For those new to this Substack, let me conclude by letting you know the secret to the growth of the MeidasTouch Network. We have zero investors. We are 100 percent independent. This makes it extra sweet that more people watch the MeidasTouch Network now than any corporate news outlet funded by the billionaires who hate us. Since we have no investors, I often awkwardly conclude these Substacks by asking you to become a paid subscriber if you can. We try to set a subscriber goal to ensure we keep growing at the pace we need. We are setting a subscriber goal for 300 new subscribers today, so please subscribe if you can now. Thanks for subscribing. Thanks for reading this. Thanks for fighting. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.