By Charles Zackary King
Founder/CEO of America in Black and White and AMIBW The Magazine
Introduction
As the clock ticks toward midnight on September 30, 2025, the threat of a government shutdown looms large. And while politicians posture, negotiate, and blame each other, everyday Americans brace for impact. This isn’t just about budgets, it’s about broken trust.
Let’s be clear: a shutdown is not a technical glitch. It’s a choice. And it’s the people, not the power brokers who pay the price.
What’s Really at Stake
- Federal workers face mass layoffs. Over 100,000 jobs could be lost, marking one of the largest federal workforce cuts in history.
- Essential services will be stretched thin. Law enforcement, air traffic control, and immigration enforcement may continue, but without pay.
- Healthcare hangs in the balance. Democrats are demanding restoration of $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts and extension of Obamacare subsidies for 3.8 million Americans.
- Political theater replaces real leadership. Fake videos, partisan tantrums, and stalled negotiations dominate headlines while families worry about food, housing, and safety.
Opinion: This Is Not Governance, It’s Neglect
A government shutdown is not just a failure of policy, it’s a failure of moral responsibility. When elected officials treat funding negotiations like a game of chicken, they forget who’s in the car: teachers, veterans, single parents, federal workers, and vulnerable communities.
This is not about party lines. It’s about lifelines.
And when leadership becomes performance, the people become collateral.
A Message to the People
We must stop accepting dysfunction as normal. We must demand more than soundbites and blame games. We must hold every elected official accountable, not just for what they say, but for what they do when the cameras are off and the deadlines are real.
Because if the government shuts down, it’s not because we failed. It’s because they did. True this is a dire situation but if we want to preserve our constitution it might be the best thing to shut down the government. Think about this, monies and budgets that have been passed have been abused in a way we have never seen before. The people in charge have proven they cannot govern, and the people are not important. Our government is for sale, and the occupier is working with the top 1% for them to be richer and they cause chaos and disorder at the bottom. What this means is the Occupier of the White House is sewing seeds to underserved/uneducated White People that Black People are stealing resources from them. We are in a climate where resources are scarce for all but creating a race war for those at the bottom makes this a problem for all of us. Point and case, we are all making do with what we have and some of us have found a way to escalate our resources that are putting us in good positions to do much better. Well, with the seeds being sown to cause racial tension makes it bad for us all. The people at the top are continuing to skim and steal from all of us but they have caused us all to think that it is one or the other. We have differences which is normal, but this violence is at a whole new level. This is do to the politicians that refuse to do their jobs. People of both parties are in the pocket of Million Dollar Donors and are controlled by that money. This puts the real light on the Democratic Party to show what they can do to preserve strength. There is no easy way to do this but they have to Shut the Government down. This is the only way to stop the abuse by the people in charge. They have no control of their President who is doing as he pleases. If they negotiate they are going to agree to cut more from the people that need all they can get and allow this man to continue stealing from this country. If they shut this down it means nothing can be done, “NOTHING AT ALL”. Now to be clear we all know that Democrats have Big Donors as well but will they be controlled by them? Must the get permission to save the government. For a lot of us this is not a good thing but is it worth this to keep the democracy in tact? Agreements do not help the common everyday person, just keep that in mind.
Call to Action
- Contact your representatives. Demand transparency and urgency.
- Support federal workers. Share resources, offer solidarity, and amplify their voices.
- Stay informed. Don’t let political spin distract from real consequences.
- Vote with clarity. Remember who showed up, and who didn’t.
